SIBERIAN PETROLEUM TYCOON JOINS U.S.-RUSSIAN BUSINESS COUNCIL TOP








WASHINGTON D.C., MARCH 13 (from RIA Novosti's Arkadi Orlov) - Semyon Kukes, president of the Siberian-based Tyumen Oil Co. (TNC), joined the Board of Directors of the US-Russian Business Council to become the first Russian on its top, announced Eugene Lowson, council president.


	Appearance of a TNC spokesman on the board resulted from council efforts to extend Russian corporate participation in its work, which aims to promote bilateral commercial links and strengthen US business positions in the Russian market, he said.


	The largest organisation in American private business, the US-Russian Business Council brings together 260 US-based companies and corporations with interests in the Russian market. It has coordination and consulting duties--in particular, to draw recommendations for both countries' governments to promote private US investment in Russia.