Russ Oil-Gas

01-16-2007 Regnum News - Moscow intends to contract a large-scale PR campaign to improve Russia’s image abroad. According to information of Kommersant newspaper (Russia), the Kremlin is now discussing who will be entrusted with such a mission. There are several contenders for $11 million including Weber Shandwick, Burson Marsteller, Barbour Griffith & Rogers, Ruder Finn, Hill & Knowlton, as well as Patton Boggs and Hogan & Hartson. The pr campaign will include actions to improve Gazprom’s image, which image, as analysts believe, suffered a lot during the recent talks on gas supplies to neighboring countries. The newspaper says that Gazpromexport is having talks with a consortium of PR agencies led by PBN Company. The negotiations can result in a three-year contract for service in the territory of the United States and the European Union. The PBN Company is an international consulting communications strategies agency serving worldwide via a network of its offices in Washington, London, Moscow, Kiev, Riga, Alma-Ata and Chisinau. The PBN Company was the first communications strategies company that was officially registered and accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR. Vlast magazine attaches to the PBN Company introducing the “PR” term into the Russian vocabulary.