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VADIM BELOV TAKES OFFICE OF INTERSPUTNIK DIRECTOR GENERAL

MOSCOW, Russia (April 15, 2005) – The Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications announced today the official assumption of the office of the Intersputnik Director General by Vadim Belov elected on April 4, 2005 during the XXXIII session of the Intersputnik Board (Bangalore, India).

Vadim Belov, Svyazinvest Deputy Director General, was nominated for Intersputnik Director General by the Russian Telecommunications Administration after the expiry of the term of office of Mr. G.Kudryavtsev. Mr. Belov’s candidacy was unanimously supported by the member countries of the Organization.

‘In the last decade the Organization faced certain difficulties but managed to make impressive progress. With its status of an intergovernmental organization, Intersputnik is a unique subject of international relations, capable of making a ponderable contribution to the establishment and development of a global information medium’, – emphasized Mr. G.Kudryavtsev in his closing address.

In his policy statement at the session of the Intersputnik Board, Vadim Belov indicated that ‘at present the Organization is at the turning point of its development and its future depends to a great extent on the successful completion of current transitional phase’. He also stressed that the establishment of Intersputnik’s new governing body – Operations Committee – made the role of the Organization’s Signatories much more significant.

Mr. Belov also stated that in the conditions of regulatory and structural reform, the top-priority task is to create new strong incentives for the members and Signatories of Intersputnik toward much more active cooperation with this Organization. No less important is the establishment of strategic alliances with new partners to jointly offer hi-tech satcom services all over the world.

This work has already started. On the eve of the Board session, Russia approved a large-scale program of strategic cooperation with Intersputnik. Specifically, this program is aimed at securing the synergy of Intersputnik’s potential and that of the Russian Satellite Communications Company.

Vadim Belov was born on May 22, 1958. In 1980 he graduated from the Murmansk Higher Engineering Maritime School as Engineer Navigator. Mr. Belov also holds law degrees from the Russian Academy of State Service under the President of the Russian Federation and the International Law Institute (Washington, D.C.).

In 1980-1991 Mr. Belov worked for the Murmansk fishing and processing company and was engaged in political activities. In 1992-1997 Mr. Belov was Deputy Chairman and then Acting Chairman of the State Anti-Monopoly Committee of the Russian Federation in charge of privatization of telecommunications and transport industries. He was responsible for the control over monopolies in these industries and was a member of the state inter-departmental commission on the privatization of the Rostelecom government enterprise. From 1993-1997 Mr. Belov was a member of the Board at Tyumen Oil Company (TNK), RAO UES of Russia (Unified Energy System of Russia), OJSC Rosneft, OJSC Lukoil, JSC Nizhnevartovskneftegaz. In January 1998 he was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Board, International Financial Company Bank. In June 1998 he was elected Chairman of the Board, OJSC Sidanco.

From January 1999 to March 2005 Mr. Belov was Deputy Director General of OJSC Svyazinvest, in charge of corporate management, holding restructuring, development of regional companies, equity market, and direct investments. Also, he controlled the Program of Corporate Restructuring and program of deploying ERP/CRM on the basis of Oracle e-Business Suite. He became a member of OJSC Svyazinvest Board in September 1999. Currently a member of the Board at OJSC CenterTelecom, OJSC Rostelecom, Chairman of the Board at OJSC RTComm.RU, OJSC Southern Telecommunications Company, OJSC Uralsviazinform, OJSC Central Telegraph, Non-Profit Partnership ‘Research Center for Telecommunications Development Issues’. On March 11, 2005 Mr. Belov was appointed Advisor to the Minister of the Russian Federation for Information Technologies and Communications.

About Intersputnik

Established in 1971 under the intergovernmental agreement, Intersputnik is an international system and organization of satellite communications headquartered in Moscow, Russia. The Organization’s mission is to contribute to the strengthening and development of economic, scientific, technical and cultural relations by communications as well as by radio and television broadcasting via satellites; cooperation and coordination of efforts of the member-countries in designing, establishing, operating and developing an international satellite communications system. Intersputnik can be joined by the government of any state which shares the Organization’s principles of activity. Today, Intersputnik has twenty five member countries.

Intersputnik provides integrated communications services to broadcasters, telecom operators and corporate customers via the LMI-1 satellite of the Lockheed Martin Intersputnik joint venture as well as Russian Express-A series satellites. Under corresponding agreements, Intersputnik provides marketing and sales of satellite capacity and telecom services of the Eutelsat system that includes 23 communication satellites as well as those of the Gascom system (Yamal-200-series satellites). The Intersputnik system incorporates over 150 ground stations for trunk links and more than 1,500 VSAT and TV distribution terminals.

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