The development of a double taxation treaty between Russia and the United Arab Emirates ("DTT") started as early as in 2022, but the final text of agreement was not known until middle of February 2025. The process of drafting the agreement was delayed because the UAE agreed to a 10% withholding tax rate on passive income paid abroad only under the terms of renegotiation of DTTs with other Arab countries, requiring similar tax rates of 10% in such agreements.

On 10 February 2025, President Trump signed an executive order, "Pausing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement to Further American Economic and National Security" ("EO"): Is anti-corruption compliance on pause?

The EO establishes a moratorium on new investigations and enforcement actions under the FCPA for 180 days (with the possibility of a 180-day extension) and directs the Attorney General to review current investigations and enforcement actions within the specified timeframe, along with a revision of the guidelines governing FCPA investigations.

A draft 02/08/02-25/00154538, which is intended to update a procedure for the establishing and functioning of a medical panel in healthcare organisations (“Draft”), has been placed on the Federal Portal of Draft Regulatory Legal Acts.

On 4 February 2025, the official portal of legal information were posted:

1. Order of the Ministry of Health No. 708n of 23 December 2024 “On Approval of the Procedure for Maintaining the Register of Issued Permits to Conduct Clinical Trials of Pharmaceuticals” (“Order No. 708n”) - the document replaces Order of the Ministry of Health No. 754n dated 26 August 2010;
2. Order of the Ministry of Health No. 706n dated 20 December 2024 establishing the procedure for the Ministry of Health to publish on its website a list of medical organisations conducting clinical trials (“Order No. 706n”) - the document replaces Order of the Ministry of Health No. 752n dated 26 August 2010.

Both documents entered into force on 15 February 2025 and aim to harmonise with the provisions of the EAEU regulations, as well as to simplify the system of information resources maintenance by the Ministry of Health by abolishing the “paper” document flow.

On February 6, 2025, Andrey Zelenin, Managing Partner of Lidings, will speak at the seminar “Middle East. Establishing Corporate Structures in the Sultanate of Oman”, organized by the International Club of the National Corporate Secretaries Association (NCSA) with the support of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.

Lidings’ Partner Stepan Guzey will take part in a business event focused on Russian-Iranian cooperation in various sectors, including machine engineering, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, agriculture, logistics, and automotive production. A series of round tables under the general title “Business in Iran, Business in Russia - Mutual Opportunities” will take place 1-4 February 2025 in Iran.

The State Duma is considering the bill No. 818556-8 “On Amendments to Part Four of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation” (the “Bill”), the authors of which propose to amend the procedure for making decisions on the use of inventions, utility models and industrial designs (“Objects of patent rights”) established by Article 1360 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

On 26 December 2024, the Federal Law No. 479-FZ “On Amendments to the Federal Law ‘On Advertising’ and Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation”  (hereinafter referred to as the “Law”) was published. This Law in particular, is aimed at regulating issues of advertising of credits (loans).

On 26.12.2024, Federal Law No. 479-FZ was signed, which provides for the obligation for advertising distributors and advertising system operators who distribute advertising in the Internet, aimed at attracting the attention of advertising consumers located in the territory of the Russian Federation, mandatory contributions to the federal budget in the amount of 3% of the amount of income received during the quarter from the sale of services for the distribution of advertising on the ‘Internet’. Quarters are counted from the beginning of the calendar year.