| November 2006 |
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Konstantin Somov's portrait of moonlight lovers, Pastorale Russe, fetched 2.4 million pounds ($46.8 million) at Christie's auction house in London Wednesday, to become the most expensive Russian painting ever to be auctioned. 
It could take Russia about three years to join the OECD after its accession to the World Trade Organization, a deputy finance minister said Wednesday. 
Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak said the country's debt to Russia was estimated at $8 billion. "I believe it will be a large write-off," Storchak said, responding to a question on whether Russia will forgive 80-90% of North Korea's debt. 
Moldova's president said Wednesday he expects relations with Russia to improve, particularly following Tuesday's summit of ex-Soviet republics. 
Russia's environmental watchdog has asked the Natural Resources Ministry to terminate five licensing agreements with a UK gold mining company, Peter Hambro Mining, the service said Wednesday. 
The condition of post-Soviet Russian reformer Yegor Gaidar who suddenly and mysteriously fell ill Friday is improving, his spokesman said Wednesday. 
The head of Russia's electricity monopoly and architect of 1990s reforms said the mystery illness of his reformer colleague was linked to the recent killings of an investigative journalist and a former intelligence officer. 



