MOSCOW, September 11 - RAPSI. President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on measures to protect Russia's interests through legal entities conducting foreign economic activity. Strategic companies will now have to agree their actions with the government when claims are brought against them by foreign states.

The European Commission announced on September 4 that it will launch an antimonopoly investigation regarding Gazprom in three possible cases on the breach of competition law.

If a Russian holding is found guilty, it could be subject to major fines and a review of gas supply contracts with European consumers, which could lead to financial losses.
Pursuant to the decree, strategic companies will have to agree their actions with the government when foreign states bring claims against them, and the claims could be brought by foreign states, international organizations, and foreign state associations and bodies.

Under these circumstances, stock companies included in the list of strategic companies approved by the president will provide information about their activity, and amend contracts with foreign contractors and other documents dealing with commercial price policy in foreign states only after having received a government-authorized agency's preliminary consent.