Actuality 04.09.2007

Sharp growth of share of foreign capital in the Russian banking system threatens the sovereignty of country,

the head of Association of the Russian Banks (ARB) Garegyn Tosunyan concerns

.  For the half of year the presence of foreigners grew from 15 to 21%, and after entering ITO risks to rise to 67%

Such circumstances, in op inion of Tosunyan, can bring to the loss of independence of

the banking system, and then the states in the whole.

«The state which would like to provide its sovereignty must protect its banking system».

«Mainly, all leading countries allow the foreign capital to have a share not more than 10-15%, maximum 20%, the iron principle of obligatory symmetry works in other countries».

That means that the bank of the country can create «daughter» abroad on the same terms, on what a foreign bank opens “daughter” in its country.

For Russia this principle does not work.

In particular, one of the Russian banks does not succeed to open «daughter» in Europe, as there are «thousands of obstacles», Hospitality can not be one-sided.

Experts admit that the Russian bank laws are considerably more liberal than in many developed western countries, but do not share concern.

Meanwhile experts consider, that the share of foreigners in the capital of the Russian banking system in general will not be able to rise neither to 67,5% nor even to 50%, because of one simple reason: the high presence of state banks in it.