The same old story.(issue of production-sharing aggreements far from settled)(Brief Article)

Despite recent signs of progress, production sharing remains a battlefield for Russia's politicians

President Vladimir Putin's surprise decision to hand the production-sharing agreement (PSA) portfolio to German Gref's ministry for economic development is the culmination of an unseemly battle for control of the issue among Russia's politicians. It is also symptomatic of a wider political shake-up brewing within the government.

The inconsistency of the country's politicians on the PSA issue (see p1) is fascinating. At a government meeting last week, prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov argued that PSAs are inefficient. His views are endorsed by natural resources …