Russian billionaire, owner of 62% shares of AFK “Sistema” - Vladimir Yevtushenkov has been employed in Yekaterinburg: he quietly took the post of Honorary Consul of the Duchy of Luxembourg in the capital of the Urals. The appointment went so quietly that even employees of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations of the Government of Sverdlovsk region knew nothing about it, and in the very "Sistem" that fact is not known. Thus, there are 13 honorary consulates in Yekaterinburg, and at least one or two consuls do some real work there. In the same manner, Yevtushenkov has been an Honorary Consul for almost a year (!), but no one has heard about that.

The fact that Yevtushenko has become an honorary consul in Yekaterinburg became known due to the source of «URA.Ru» from the diplomatic environment. The Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations of the region's governments was surprised when we asked for a comment: "I have not heard of such a consul and have not seen any note on that from MIA", Press Secretary Minister Helen Palatkina said to «URA.Ru». However, after having specified the information, she said that Mr. Evtushenkov indeed previously had been coordinated in the Ministry.

The Russian press office of AFK “Sistema” was also surprised initially that Mr. Evtushenkov is an honorary consul. However, after a while press officer Julia Belous confirmed it. "Evtushenkov took the post of Honorary Consul due his special contribution to strengthening bilateral relations between the two states,” she says. “AFK “Sistema” has been working in Luxembourg quite a long time as well as our subsidiary bank "IBRD" owns a controlling stake in the Luxembourg bank East-West United Bank (EWUB). Evtushenkov was appointed Honorary Consul in Yekaterinburg, the Sverdlovsk Oblast and Khabarovsk due to the fact that companies owned by Sistema have been working successfully in these regions for a long time. Of course, Mr. Evtushenkov will perform all the duties which the status of Honorary Consul of Luxembourg imposes on him.

In fact, honorary consuls do not have any specific duties. Now there are 13 honored in Yekaterinburg, and most of them have their diplomatic activity limited to organization of a loud party in honor of the Honorary Consulate opening. Usually businessmen with interests abroad tend to obtain such posts in order to improve their status or their personal safety. The fact is the post of an honorary consul allows using red diplomatic identification numbers; such vehicles can not be stopped and searched by law enforcement officials. In addition, the Vienna Convention guarantees the inviolability of archives of the Honorary Consulate - which means that the entrepreneur can protect his office from searches and seizures.