Category: Russian Economy

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

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On Wednesday, July 23, the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Maxim Reshetnikov, presented the main results of the work of special economic zones (SEZ) over the 20 years since the mechanism was created at a meeting of the President with members of the Government.

“Exactly 20 years ago, on your instructions, a law was adopted on Special Economic Zones to create new growth points in the regions and stimulate investment,” the minister noted, addressing the head of state.

Since the mechanism was launched, 59 SEZs have been created in Russia. More than 1,300 resident companies have invested 2.7 trillion rubles and created 110 thousand jobs. Today, the zones are developing in various sectors – from industry, science and logistics to tourism.

"Special economic zones respond to key business needs. It is within the framework of SEZs that production facilities are launched that ensure technological sovereignty and replace imports," emphasized Maxim Reshetnikov.

The development of SEZs has accelerated especially in the last five years. Since 2020, more than half of the zones operating today — 34 — have been created. The influx of residents during this period was a record — 561 companies. Recent examples include the production of trailers in Tatarstan, medical furniture in the Tula region, pet food in the Lipetsk region, air filters and polymer products in the Novgorod region.

The head of the department separately noted the contribution of SEZs to the development of regional economies. The zones become drivers of diversification and create highly skilled jobs. According to the Ministry of Economic Development, the level of wages at resident enterprises is often 30-50% higher than the regional average.

In 2025, six new economic zones were created in Russia, and five more were expanded. Among the new ones are a tourist zone in Kuzbass, a machine-building cluster in the Chelyabinsk region, and an industrial and logistics hub in the Novosibirsk region. Applications for opening new sites are being developed, including a tourist SEZ in Mineralnye Vody.

According to the minister, the effectiveness of the mechanism is also confirmed from the point of view of the return of state investments: "The costs of benefits and the creation of infrastructure are recouped by the growth of the tax base. As of today, the budgetary effect from the work of the SEZ has exceeded 122 billion rubles," the head of the Ministry of Economic Development reported.

During his speech, the minister outlined further priorities for the development of the mechanism. Among them are the simplification of procedures for investors, the integration of infrastructure support measures, the expansion of tourism formats, and the active attraction of foreign companies. Today, more than 100 foreign investors from 34 countries work in Russian SEZs.

"The Institute of Special Economic Zones has become an effective mechanism for the country's economic development. This is the result of the work of regional teams, constant improvement of legislation and, of course, your support," Maxim Reshetnikov noted in conclusion, addressing the President.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

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The Ministry of Economic Development of Russia has become a strategic partner of the Russian Creative Week. The forum will be held in Moscow on September 25–27 at the Russia National Center. The initiator and organizer of the event is the Creative Economy ANO.

The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation carries out functions to develop state policy and improve the regulatory framework in the creative economy, and is also engaged in developing a long-term strategy for the development of this sector.

The cooperation between the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia and the ANO "Creative Economy" will allow for a comprehensive discussion of the draft strategy – the fundamental document at the site of the "Russian Creative Week", key issues in the field of creative economy at the federal level, and to attract the attention of entrepreneurs to the issues of developing creative industries.

"The development of the creative economy requires a systematic approach and consideration of the positions of all participants in the process: the state, business and industry associations. The forum will create a space for uniting these views and developing joint solutions," commented Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia Tatyana Ilyushnikova.

President of the ANO "Creative Economy" Marina Mongush emphasized: The Ministry of Economic Development has launched the process of preparing a document that will determine how this sector will develop until 2030.

"We are actively working with colleagues, with departments, with the expert community so that the strategy takes into account not only the economic, but also the socio-cultural, value-oriented approach to the creative economy. The Russian Creative Week forum will give our joint work with the Ministry of Economic Development an additional impetus," believes the president of the ANO Creative Economy.

"Russian Creative Week" has become an effective tool for the development of the industry as a whole – this is acknowledged by experts, noting that the forum gives a powerful impetus to the growth of regional "experience economies".

"It is important for people to be part of something big, and not just stand at a machine or work in a bank branch. It is important for everyone to build their own temple and feel involved in big goals, and it is the value-oriented approach that gives this feeling and distinguishes one community of people from all the others, both in the example of a separate company and in the example of the country," emphasized the head of the Presidential Administration for Public Projects of the Russian Federation, Sergei Novikov.

Partners of the Festival-Forum "Russian Creative Week":

Official partners: Rostec State Corporation, Andrey Melnichenko Charitable Foundation.

Business partner: Aluminum Association.

Business program partner: Prosveshchenie Group of Companies.

Participating regions: Moscow, the Republic of Bashkortostan, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Nizhny Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Tula regions.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

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At a meeting of the State Duma, amendments to the legislation on innovative scientific and technological centers (ISTCs), developed by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia on instructions from the President of the Russian Federation, were adopted in the second and third readings. The draft federal law is aimed at creating flexible mechanisms for managing land plots and the infrastructure of ISTCs, as well as strengthening the role of regions in the development of innovative clusters.

The key changes to the bill in the second reading concerned the regulation of land turnover in the INTC, and the conditions for the transfer of land to companies with state participation and subjects of the Russian Federation are regulated in detail. In particular, it is envisaged that land plots can be provided to companies with state participation for ownership, lease or gratuitous use for a period of up to 49 years.

At the same time, the provision of land plots to state companies is possible only if there is a construction concept approved by the management company and a decision of the Supervisory Board of the INTC Fund. In the event of the sale of land plots, an agreement is also envisaged between the fund and the company, which will include strict obligations regarding the terms and parameters of construction, as well as liability for failure to comply with the conditions.

In turn, the subjects of the Russian Federation will be able to receive land for the implementation of infrastructure projects after coordinating their concept with the management company of the INTC and receiving approval from the Supervisory Board of the INTC Fund.

According to the First Deputy Minister of Economic Development Maxim Kolesnikov, the facilities built in the INTC can only be used to implement INTC projects and provided to the fund, the management company or the project participants, which excludes misuse. In addition, mandatory state examination of design documentation is introduced for facilities built with the involvement of budget funds. The draft law separately highlights norms for increasing the involvement of the subjects of the Russian Federation in the development of the INTC.

"The subjects of the Russian Federation will be able to independently establish funds and management companies for the INTC without the mandatory participation of the federal government. The regions will also participate in coordinating strategies for the development of innovation centers, which will increase their involvement in the process," commented Maxim Kolesnikov.

Finally, for project participants – residents of the INTC – the period of extraterritoriality (the ability to work outside the borders of the INTC territory) is extended from three to five years, which will provide the INTC with sufficient time to create infrastructure to accommodate residents.

"The adoption of the amendments will create stable conditions for investors and participants of the INTC, ensure transparency in the management of land and infrastructure, and strengthen the interaction between the federal center and the regions in the development of the innovative economy. In this way, we are laying the legal foundations for the long-term development of the INTC, including such significant projects as the Vorobyovy Gory cluster. This will allow us to more actively form advanced scientific and technological centers that are competitive at the global level," emphasized Maxim Kolesnikov.

The amendments to the law on the INTC are aimed at creating a sustainable legal framework for the development of innovative infrastructure. In general, this will speed up the implementation of key projects, attract new participants and strengthen cooperation between the state, business and scientific organizations, he added.

A total of 13 INTCs have been created. They provide development of more than 40 scientific and technological areas in 12 regions (Moscow, Moscow Region, St. Petersburg, FT Sirius, Tula, Ryazan, Novgorod, Kaluga, Nizhny Novgorod, Kaliningrad Regions, Primorsky Krai, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra), more than 600 residents are involved in the work of the centers.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

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At a plenary session on Tuesday, July 22, the State Duma supported the ratification of the protocol on amendments to the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union, which provides for the creation of a special mechanism for conducting investigations and making decisions on the application or non-application of special protective, anti-dumping and compensatory measures. The protocol was signed on December 26, 2024 and submitted for consideration to the lower house of parliament by the President of the Russian Federation.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Vladimir Ilyichev reminded in his report that the said measures are intended to protect the Union's producers from unfair (dumping or subsidized) or sharply increased imports from third countries. These measures are applied in the form of duties on imported goods. "Considering that in the EAEU, production is mainly concentrated in Russia, these measures are an important tool for domestic producers, allowing them to compete on fair terms," he said.

At the same time, Russia’s partners in the EAEU, who do not have their own production and who are interested in cheap imports, do not always support initiatives to introduce measures and can block a protective measure using the right of veto, the deputy minister stated.

The current version of the Union Treaty does not contain a procedure for exiting the situation with the blocking of a protective measure. A "veto" imposed by one of the Union partners on a decision to introduce a protective measure may be in effect indefinitely. While the measure is blocked, imports from third countries continue to cause damage to Union producers, including Russian businesses.

“The amendments to the Treaty on the Union, developed at the initiative of the Russian side, establish a procedure for exiting the situation with the ‘vetting’ of protective measures with the participation of the Intergovernmental Council and the Court of the Union, as well as a time limit for it,” Vladimir Ilyichev emphasized.

The first stage of the procedure will be the consideration of the blocked measure at two meetings of the Intergovernmental Council. If an agreement is reached, no further continuation of the procedure is required, and the protective measure comes into force. At the second stage, the Commission transfers the consideration to the Court of the Union. This body, as an arbitrator, must assess whether the decision is balanced – whether the interests of both producers and consumers, who may also suffer damage from the introduction of the protective measure, are satisfied. If, after the Court of the Union, the member state does not agree with the introduction of the measure, the issue is brought to the level of the Supreme Council of the EAEU. This mechanism will be in effect for 2 years with automatic extension for subsequent two-year periods (if there are no objections from the parties).

“The set of changes provided for by the Protocol will ensure legal certainty in the issue of exiting the veto situation, speed up the decision-making process on the application of a protective measure and, accordingly, strengthen the protection of our producers from unfair or sharply increased imports,” concluded the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

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Today, July 22, the mechanism of special economic zones (SEZ) turns 20 years old. During this time, they have become one of the key drivers of development of territories where the most important projects in industry, science, logistics are being implemented, and growth points in tourism are being formed. SEZs create conditions for the implementation of priority economic tasks outlined by the President of Russia.

Companies that are residents of special economic zones provide higher wages compared to regional averages. This is due to both the technological profile of enterprises and the competition for qualified specialists. According to the administrations of a number of zones, the difference in wages can reach 30-40%.

Thus, according to the results of the first quarter of 2025, the average salary at the enterprises of the Dubna SEZ residents amounted to 121.6 thousand rubles. This is approximately 15% higher than the average level in the Moscow region. According to Anton Afanasyev, General Director of JSC Dubna SEZ TVT, the zone specializes in high-tech industries – medicine, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, IT and design of complex systems – which allows creating jobs with high added value and corresponding wages.

In St. Petersburg, the difference is even more noticeable: salaries at resident enterprises exceed the city average by about 30%. As noted by Tamara Rondaleva, General Director of the St. Petersburg SEZ, this is facilitated by the concentration of knowledge-intensive and export-oriented industries in the zone: "Specialists with complex qualifications work here – developers, research associates, engineers. The growth of salaries is also affected by the competition between residents for qualified personnel."

Other regions demonstrate similar indicators. In the Titanium Valley SEZ, the average salary at operating production facilities is about 105 thousand rubles, while in the Sverdlovsk region as a whole it is 84.6 thousand. In Kaliningrad, the difference is also noticeable: the average salary at resident enterprises is approaching 83 thousand rubles, while at non-residents it is about 66 thousand.

According to Mikhail Labudin, Director of the Association of Clusters, Technology Parks and SEZs of Russia, high wages are a characteristic feature of all special economic zones: "The level of wages in SEZs traditionally exceeds the average for the manufacturing industry and other sectors by 30-40%. This is explained by the specifics of the residents themselves – as a rule, these are high-tech, capital-intensive companies focused on export and production of products with high added value. Such enterprises impose higher requirements for the qualifications of personnel, which is directly reflected in the level of wages."

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

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On July 22, 2025, the first Central Asian International Economic Forum ended in Dushanbe, becoming the final event of the International Expedition "Journey to the Heart of Eurasia". It started in Moscow on June 6 and lasted almost two months. In 51 days, the Expedition participants made a motor rally with a total length of more than 8 thousand km and held about 160 business and educational events in 27 cities of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

In his address to the forum participants, Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov noted the high economic potential of Central Asia: according to EDB forecasts, in 2025, the GDP growth of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will significantly exceed the global average.

"Today, Central Asia is one of the fastest growing regions in the world, forming a new center of economic growth in the Eurasian space. Russia has traditionally been a leading trading partner for the entire region. According to the results of 2024, Russia's trade turnover with the countries of Central Asia amounted to almost 20% of the total trade turnover of Central Asia with all external partners. The basis of joint economic growth is the active interaction of the regions of our countries," the statement says.

The Forum's business program included thematic sessions on humanitarian ties, tourism, women's entrepreneurship, free economic zones, digitalization, logistics, ecology and international cooperation.

"Russia is ready to share experience and expand cooperation in the areas of e-commerce, digitalization, artificial intelligence and creative economy. I am confident that both the Expedition and the Forum itself will become annual and will help open new horizons for strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation," Maxim Reshetnikov emphasized.

Following the Forum, a number of cooperation agreements were signed. The event brought together more than 500 participants from Russia and Central Asian countries: representatives of government bodies, public structures, business circles, expert communities, as well as international organizations and integration associations.

The forum was organized by the Russian-Tajik Business Council and the ANO International Center for Regional Initiatives with the support of the Roscongress Foundation, the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation and the Tajik side. The general partners were RVB (Wildberries

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

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The Ministry of Economic Development of Russia has summed up the results of the implementation of the program of preferential equipment leasing for small and medium-sized companies for the first half of 2025. The amount of support exceeded 180 million rubles, and the tool itself is in demand in industrially active regions.

Preferential leasing plays an important role in the development of the small and medium-sized business sector, providing companies with access to modern equipment without the need for large one-time investments. This is especially important for manufacturing enterprises that need to update equipment to improve competitiveness, expand capacity and enter new markets. Support through leasing reduces the financial burden, accelerates modernization processes and stimulates business growth in the regions.

"In the first half of 2025, 16 companies took advantage of the preferential leasing program, the amount of support was 181 million rubles. The average transaction bill was 11.3 million rubles. Geographically, the main activity is concentrated in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, St. Petersburg and Moscow, the Chelyabinsk Region, and the Republic of Bashkortostan. This indicates the demand for the instrument in industrially active regions of the country," said Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia Tatyana Ilyushnikova.

The largest number of companies that took advantage of preferential leasing were from the mechanical engineering and metalworking industries – they made up 58% of all recipients. A significant share was occupied by enterprises of the chemical industry (17%) and the food industry (14%).

Among the purchased equipment, the most popular were: metalworking equipment and machines – 38% of the total number of leased items, equipment for processing polymers and chemical raw materials – 31%, gas piston units – 14%, woodworking equipment – 11%.

Since August 2023, a separate preferential leasing program has been in effect for small and medium-sized businesses in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. It promotes the development of the industrial sector in new regions, helps modernize production and provides an incentive for the development of entrepreneurship. The operator of the program is the Republican Leasing Company of the Donetsk Republic (GUP DPR "RLK"), which was financed from the federal budget in the amount of 300 million rubles in 2023 and 2024 and provided for in regulations so that preferential leasing would be available to entrepreneurs from all four regions. The main conditions of the program: long-term lease of equipment/property at a preferential rate of 6% per annum for Russian equipment, 8% for foreign equipment, the amount of the advance payment is 20-50%, the leasing term is up to 5 years, the industries are food production, manufacturing, agriculture, etc.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

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The State Duma deputies unanimously adopted in the second and third, final readings the draft law "On Certain Issues of Regulating the Platform Economy in the Russian Federation", as well as a package of amendments to industry legislation necessary in connection with the new regulation. The draft federal law was developed on the instructions of the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin and under the supervision of the Deputy Chairman – Chief of Staff of the Government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Grigorenko. The new rules will come into force on October 1, 2026.

"The bill was developed in cooperation with the industry, discussions took place at all key venues. As a result of such careful development, the document retained its concept following consideration in the State Duma. At the same time, a number of provisions were clarified, which made the bill even more targeted. Its task is to protect the rights of sellers and buyers, provide guarantees to market participants and promote further stable development of the platform economy in Russia," commented Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of Staff of the Government Dmitry Grigorenko on the results of consideration of the draft law.

One of the key amendments that emerged during the consideration of the bills in the State Duma concerned the timing of the entry into force of the new regulation. Now, the extension of the adopted norms to the activities of intermediary digital platforms is expected from October 1, 2026. This innovation was also agreed upon with the largest market players. According to the Minister of Economic Development of Russia Maxim Reshetnikov, this is explained by the need for the earliest possible implementation of new legal mechanisms.

"When preparing the bill on the platform economy and discussing it in committees, proposals were received from the deputy corps to postpone the entry into force of the law to an earlier date, to 2026. In the course of work, this proposal was discussed with the platforms themselves. The logic of postponing the deadline is that the norms provided for by the bill, those security guarantees for consumers, businesses and the platforms themselves, begin to work as soon as possible, since these legal mechanisms are long overdue. During the discussion, these proposals were supported. Thus, one of the key amendments to the second reading of the bill was the postponement of the date of its entry into force – from March 1, 2027 to October 1, 2026. This, in turn, means that digital platforms will more quickly start fine-tuning their own systems to bring them into compliance with the law," commented Maxim Reshetnikov.

Deputies, the State Duma's specialized committees on economic policy and industry and trade made a major contribution to finalizing the bill, the minister noted. For example, based on comments from deputies, the requirements for posting product cards subject to mandatory confirmation of conformity (certification, declaration of conformity, state registration) have been supplemented. In particular, the platform operator will not have to allow the publication of a product card subject to state registration if the seller has not posted a link to the certificate of state registration of the product. This provision supplemented similar requirements for products subject to mandatory certification and declaration of conformity, which were already spelled out in the draft law for the first reading.

A separate innovation touched upon the need to provide technical functionality for placing information on the product card about the possibility of purchasing goods, works, services using an electronic certificate – one of the ways to receive state support. With the help of such a certificate, you can purchase a technical rehabilitation device.

"When working on the amendments for the second reading, we proceeded from the fact that all interests of market participants were balanced as much as possible. This concerns issues of intellectual property, and verification of labeling certificates, and control of partners by platforms, and the accessibility of platform solutions for people with disabilities and the acquisition of technical equipment through certificates. We sought to ensure that all these standards were clearly spelled out, and the mechanisms were recorded. Finally, the key thing that colleagues drew attention to is that the bill will come into force on October 1, 2026," emphasized Maxim Topilin, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy.

At the same time, the Minister specifically noted that with the adoption of the bill, work with the industry and relevant government bodies will continue on a number of issues. By the date of entry into force of the law, it is planned to adopt a number of by-laws. This concerns the rules for maintaining and forming a register of intermediary digital platforms, determining the criteria for their economic significance and the composition of information that will be included in the register, the procedure for inclusion, amendments and exclusion from it. A number of acts will be related to detailing the norms established in the law. This will also concern the data of partners who will check the platforms, the procedure for checking information in product cards by platform operators.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

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Deputies approved the draft law of the Ministry of Economic Development, simplifying the process of joining business entities (JSC and LLC) to associations or unions. The draft law was developed within the framework of the "Transformation of the Business Climate" mechanism and was adopted in the first reading in September 2024.

The bill is aimed at optimizing the procedure for making decisions on business participation in associations, unions and other associations of legal entities or citizens. Current regulations provide for the adoption of such decisions exclusively by the highest governing body of the company – the general meeting of shareholders or participants of the company. Usually, the formation of the agenda, preparation of ballots for voting, and sending out invitations to shareholders take about a month.

"This procedure leads to additional costs associated with conducting corporate procedures. The draft law provides for the possibility of referring the issue of making such decisions by the charter of a joint-stock company to the competence of the board of directors or the collegial executive body of the company," noted First Deputy Minister of Economic Development Maxim Kolesnikov.

The regulation will affect more than 51 thousand joint-stock companies (JSC), including more than 800 public JSC, and more than 2.5 million limited liability companies (LLC).

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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