Russia. Vimpelcom

The loan has been provided as part of a syndicated loan facility for the development of the company’s GSM infrastructure in Russia and other CIS countries, as well as for the acquisition of Golden Telecom, a provider pf integrated telecommunications and internet services in CIS countries. Vimpelcom, which was founded in 1992 and is partly owned by Norwegian Telenor, is Russia’s second largest mobile operator controlling one third of the market. Leading Nordic telecom equipment manufacturers account for a major part of equipment supplies to Vimpelcom.

Vimpelcom’s investments do not have any significant negative environmental impacts. The general environmental consequences of the telecommunications network development, including setting up base stations, are primarily in changing the landscape, as well as electromagnetic radiation. Each new base station is the subject for an environmental permission from the relevant national authority prior to commercial operation.