INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
President Vladimir Putinsigned a decree Wednesday allowing the Armenian investment fund Balchug Capital to buy shares in nine publicly
companies, including Gazprom, Rosneft and Lukoil
approval for buying and selling securities in the energy and banking sectors.Last month, Putin signed a similar decree allowing the U.S
hedge fund 683 Capital Partners LP to buy Russian securities from American, British and Singaporean investment funds
that the decree may have been part of an asset swap allowing both Russian and foreign investors to free up funds blocked by
sanctions.Goldman Sachs, which had operated in Russia since 2009, was among the first major U.S
banks to announce the winding down of its Russian business after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.In 2023, a Moscow court temporarily
