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The Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on antitrust cooperation with the Russian antitrust agency, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), to promote greater cooperation and further strengthen the relationships between the U.S. antitrust agencies and the FAS through technical cooperation and regular communication.

The MOU was signed in Washington, DC, by FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Christine Varney, and FAS Head Igor Artemyev.

Commenting on the signing, Chairman Leibowitz said, “We are delighted to enter into this antitrust Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service. It will enable us to enhance our cooperation, provide a framework for technical cooperation, and facilitate consultation on policy and enforcement matters with our counterpart in this important jurisdiction.”

Key provisions of the MOU address the following:

Cooperation – The MOU provides that the U.S. antitrust agencies and the FAS will work to keep each other informed of significant competition policy and enforcement developments in their respective jurisdictions, and establishes a framework for providing technical cooperation.

Communications – The MOU establishes a framework for communications between the U.S. antitrust agencies and the FAS, allowing the agencies to consult one another for advice on matters of competition enforcement and policy. It also contemplates periodic meetings among officials to exchange information on policy and enforcement priorities.

While the United States has several antitrust cooperation agreements with foreign jurisdictions, this is the first antitrust cooperation MOU entered into on a direct agency-to-agency basis.

The Commission vote authorizing Chairman Leibowitz to sign the MOU on behalf of the agency was 4-0. A copy of the MOU can be found on the Commission’s Web site and as a link to this press release at: http://www.ftc.gov/oia/agreements.shtm

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,700 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

(FTC File No. P999608)