The largest shareholder of Norilsk Nickel Vladimir Potanin opposed the conclusion of a new shareholder agreement with RUSAL after 2022. According to him, the agreement was a vestige and only hinders the development of the company. He explains that the views of the “Interros” and “RUSAL” management “Norilsk Nickel” and “fundamentally different”, and “RUSAL” only care about the dividend, regardless of the situation.Concluded eight years ago joint agreement of the main owners of Norilsk Nickel became a vestige, which is not needed for effective development and modernization of the company, told Reuters the largest shareholder and the head GMK Vladimir Potanin. “Interros” Vladimir Potanin owns about 34% of Norilsk Nickel shares, “RUSAL”, founded by Oleg Deripaska, 27.8% and, Crispian Roman Abramovich and Alexander Abramov was 4.2%.According to Mr. Potanin, the vision of “Interros” and “Rusala” “to principles of management “Norilsk Nickel” fundamentally different”. Aluminum company, continues Vladimir Potanin, is in favour of further tightening of control systems, which in the opinion of Interros contrary to the normal principles of corporate governance with reasonable decentralization.A shareholders agreement was signed eight years ago until 2023. Then the agreement put an end to years of corporate conflict between Vladimir Potanin and Oleg Deripaska. The agreement imposed the veto power of the shareholders to the transaction, have created the conditions for financial control and the managing partner of which is Mr. Potanin. Since then, however, as the head of MMC, the company has increased business efficiency and built quality control system. “The preservation of this add-ons will lead to further pressure on Norilsk Nickel in order to obtain the maximum dividends regardless of the economic and social situation around the company”,— said Mr. Potanin.”B” sent a request to the “RUSAL”.Vladimir Potanin and RUSAL since the conclusion of the shareholders ‘ agreement continue to argue about the development of the company with respect to payment of dividends and investments. “RUSAL” has resisted the start of new projects, which were supported by Vladimir Potanin. For example, because of the position of “RUSAL” broke SP “Norilsk Nickel” from “Russian platinum”, which was supposed to implement the project “Arctic Palladium”.In recent months, the crash is related to the oil spill near Norilsk, serves as an additional catalyst for conflict. Rosprirodnadzor has written “Norilsk Nickel” fine 148 billion and, although the company still disagreed with him, Vladimir Potanin has already proposed to limit the dividends in the year 2020 level of $1 billion, “RUSAL” the relevant dividend from the package in “Norilsk Nickel” to service its debt, so the company insists on changes in the senior management of MMC and expects to cover the damage from the oil spill, not from the profit of “Norilsk Nickel” and from “alternative sources”.Eugene Zainullin
