OREANDA-NEWS. April 28, 2011. The Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) Igor Artemyev had a bilateral meeting with the French Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia, Mr. Jean de Gliniast. The meeting took place at FAS Russia, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

Igor Artemyev informed the Ambassador about the main directions for development of competition in Russia and the work of the antimonopoly authority. He paid special attention to organisation and control over state procurement in Russia.

The Head of FAS Russia told that FAS Russia and the General Directorate on Competition of the European Commission had signed the Memorandum of Understanding about cooperation in the field of competition policy, which provides for exchange of non-confidential information, experience and opinions on the issues of development of competition policy and investigating cases on violations of the competition law that are of mutual interest to the Parties.

The parties gave positive assessment of many years’ experience of cooperation between FAS Russia and the General Directorate on Competition, Consumer Policy and Fraud Prevention of French Ministry of Economy, Finances and Industry (La Direction generale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Repression des Fraudes du Ministere de l’Economie, des Finances et de l’Industrie de la Republique Francaise) and emphasized importance of developing cooperation with French Competition Authority (Autorite de la concurrence) – an independent newly created body on the basis of French Competition Council (Conseil de la concurrence).

The parties also discussed possibilities for organising a round table for representatives of French companies, operating on the Russian market, about application of the laws on protection of competition, control over foreing investments, state and municipal procurement of goods, works and services, as well a study tour of one of electronic sites holding electronic auctions for the right to conclude government contracts.

The parties agreed as to how important is further progressive enhancement of Russian-French cooperation in the field of competition development, including exchange of information and guidance materials, experience in investigating antimonopoly violations, cooperation in investigations of particular cross-border antimonopoly violations, organisation of joint market research projects, workshops and other events.