OREANDA-NEWS. On December 11, 2008 Mr. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has withdrawn his consent to stand for elections to the Board of Directors of OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel (hereinafter – Norilsk Nickel or the Company) at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, which will be held on December 26, 2008, reported the press-centre of Norilsk Nickel.

In his letter to the Chairman of the Board of Directors Vladimir Potanin and the General Director of the Company Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo emphasized, among other matters, that he had made the decision to withdraw his candidacy for a directorship at Norilsk Nickel because of the increasing level of his other commitments.

Mr. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo complied with independency criteria set out for members of the Board of Directors in the Company’s Charter.