NSD – Substitute Numbering Agency for the CIS: News and Events

26.10.09

NDC and Uzbekistan's Central Depository Signed Information Exchange Agreement

“The National Depository Center” (Closed Joint Stock Company) (NDC), Russia's only settlement depository servicing the full range of debt and equity securities of Russian issuers, and the State enterprise "Central securities depository" of the Republic of Uzbekistan (UzCSD) have signed an agreement on information exchange necessary for execution by NDC of its functions as the Substitute Numbering Agency for the Republic of Uzbekistan, it was announced today.

The agreement was signed during the annual general meeting of the Association of Eurasian Central Securities Depositories (AECSD) held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 16 October 2009. The signing became possible after the Center for Coordination and Control over Functioning of Securities Market of the Uzbekistan State Property Committee confirmed its approval of NDC’s right to operate as the Substitute Numbering Agency for the Republic of Uzbekistan and sent an appropriate official request to the Board of Directors of the Association of National Numbering Agencies (ANNA).

Major work on organizational and technological issues related to the transfer of the new functions to NDC and to organization of two depositories' interactions had been made by specialists of UzCSD and NDC prior to signing of the agreement.

NDC is to begin assigning ISIN codes to Uzbek securities and transferring the data to ANNA's international database after approval of the starting date by UzCSD, the board of directors of ANNA and the operator servicing ANNA's database.

About NDC:

“The National Depository Center” (Closed Joint Stock Company) is the largest settlement depository in Russia, servicing the full range of debt and equity securities of Russian issuers. NDC provides storage of global certificates and depository accounting for 99% of corporate bond issues, sub-federal and municipal bond issues. It services 100% of transactions conducted in the federal bond and the Bank of Russia bond markets, more than 99% of transactions conducted in the corporate and regional bond markets, and more than 99% of stock exchange transactions with equities and OTC trades. The international rating agency Thomas Murray has assigned NDC an АА- rating as a central depository. NDC is Russia's national numbering agency, and the substituting numbering agency for the CIS, authorized to assign the international ISIN and CFI codes.

Among NDC’s shareholders are MICEX (50,1727% of shares), Bank of Russia (42,2997% of shares) as well as GPB (OJSC) (Gazprombank), Evrofinance Mosnarbank, ROSBANK (OJSC JSCB), JSC VTB Bank, Bank of Moscow, JSC Rossiyskiy Kredit Bank, Vnesheconombank, ING Bank (Eurasia) ZAO, JP Morgan Bank International LLC, ZAO UniCredit Bank, Deutsche Bank, and Sberbank. NDC has stakes in Depository Clearing Company CJSC (37.29%), in Settlement Depository Company CJSC (28.54%) and in Bank "National Clearing Centre" CJSC (0.27%).

For further information about NDC: www.ndc.ru, or NDC Public Affairs Division: +7 495 232 0910, pr@ndc.ru

About the State enterprise "Central Securities Depository" of the Republic of Uzbekistan:

The State enterprise "Central Securities Depository" of the Republic of Uzbekistan (UzCSD) - is the state depository which provides uniform system of safekeeping, record-keeping of rights and movement of emission securities under DEPO accounts in two-level depository system, and also gathering and formation of registers of shares and corporate bonds of all issuer's of the Republic. UzCSD, carrying out 100 % safekeeping and depository record-keeping of shares and corporate bonds, is settlement depository functioning in the exchange and OTC markets. As of 1 October, 2009 UzCSD held 4.299 billion securities by 1,703 joint stock companies on deposit; nominal value of the securities on deposit was UZS 5.333 trillion. The central depository gives its clients full spectrum of depository and accompanying services. Its clients are, the State Committee of the State Property of the Republic of Uzbekistan and legal persons, authorized by the state, on management of the state assets, investment agents, depositories nominee holders, investment funds and their shareholders. A balanced tariff policy and use of full service EDI allows the Central Depository to provide services to professional participants of the securities market and investors. The Central Depository also provides services to the "Tashkent" Stock Exchange, "Elsis-Savdo" - OTC Electronic Trading System and Interbank Trading System.

For further information about UzCSD: www.deponet.uz and www.aecsd.com