Moody's not to lower Russia's rating over Yukos affair

The Moody's rating agency does not plan to lower Russia's rating over the YUKOS oil major affair, Moody's Vice-President Jonathan Schiffer told a press conference in Moscow Wednesday.

The agency is treating the situation around YUKOS and its former chief Mikhail Khodorkovsky as a special case, but not the beginning of a large-scale attack on private property in Russia, Mr Schiffer said.

He recalled that Russia was holding the "stable" status, according to Moody's rating scale. The agency does not plan to lower or raise it, Mr Schiffer assured.