Euroclear Bank and NSD launch cross-border services for Russian corporate and municipal bonds

22 January 2014
Print version

Brussels and Moscow, 22 January 2014 – Euroclear Bank’s post-trade services for Russian corporate and municipal bonds will commence on 30 January 2014. Via Euroclear Bank’s account with Russia’s central securities depository – National Settlement Depository (NSD) – all Euroclear Bank clients investing in corporate and municipal debt will be able to settle those trades and deposit their positions with Euroclear Bank.

This new service complements NSD and Euroclear Bank’s offering for Russian government bonds, known as OFZs, which was launched in February 2013. Municipal bonds and corporate bonds issued in 2012 and later are eligible for the service.

The Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation Anton Siluanov commented on this important event for the Russian financial market: “We have been working in cooperation with NSD and Euroclear to launch the post-trading services for the Russian corporate and municipal bonds. We endeavour to attract investors, to make our market more transparent and to raise interest to Russian securities. Great work has been done and significant changes have been introduced to the Russian legislation, and in particular to the Tax Code, to the Law “On the Securities Market”, and the Law “On Joint Stock Companies”. I am confident that this is an important step towards establishing an International Financial Centre in Moscow that aims at providing better accessibility and lower cost of long-term financing for Russian companies.”

Frederic Hannequart, Chairman of Euroclear Bank, said: “Following on from the success of our OFZ service, we are delighted to now offer services for municipal and corporate assets. The growing appetite shown by investors to mitigate risks while ensuring a solid return on their diverse portfolio of assets is now further enhanced with access to many of Russia’s companies. Furthermore, foreign firms can also be important stakeholders in the development of key municipal infrastructure programmes.”

Hannequart continued: “I would like to thank the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation and our partners at the National Settlement Depository for their assistance and guidance as we together forge ahead in the creation of more liquid and efficient capital markets in Russia.”

Eddie Astanin, Chairman of the Executive Board of the National Settlement Depository, commented: “The launch of new post-trade services for Russian corporate and municipal bonds has been made possible by recent changes in Russian law and, in particular, the Tax Code, the Law “On the Securities Market” and the Law “On Joint Stock Companies.” These regulatory changes were achieved through NSD’s active participation. We are confident that the development of post-trade technologies, one of which is the link between Euroclear Bank and NSD, and improved regulation will stimulate investors’ additional interest in Russian issuers’ securities.”

Euroclear Bank’s service for OFZs - and now corporate and municipal debt - is part of a progressive suite of services which aims to expand Euroclear Bank clients’ access to Russian securities, including a service for Russian equities which is scheduled to go live in the second half of 2014.

OFZs, corporate and municipal securities held in safekeeping by Euroclear Bank will also be eligible as securities collateral for securitised transactions where Euroclear Bank is the triparty collateral management agent.

Euroclear Bank will have links with CSDs in 45 major countries. The Russian rouble is already one of 54 settlement currencies in Euroclear Bank.

As of today NSD has links with CSDs/ICSDs in 8 countries and with 12 cash correspondent banks. That allows NSD clients to settle Free-of-Payment and Delivery-versus-Payment securities transactions in Eurobonds, non-domestic bonds and equities, DRs, ETFs and certain other instruments, while cash settlement is available in 8 foreign currencies.

Note to editors

Euroclear Bank provides settlement and related securities services for cross-border transactions involving domestic and international bonds, equities, derivatives and investment funds. Serving major financial institutions located in more than 90 countries, Euroclear Bank, based in Brussels, is part of the Euroclear group. Euroclear Bank is rated AA+ by Fitch Ratings and AA by Standard & Poor’s.

Euroclear is the world’s largest provider of domestic and cross-border settlement and related services for bond, equity, derivatives and fund transactions. The Euroclear group includes Euroclear Bank, based in Brussels, as well as Euroclear Belgium, Euroclear Finland, Euroclear France, Euroclear Nederland, Euroclear Sweden and Euroclear UK & Ireland. The Euroclear group settled the equivalent of EUR 542 trillion in securities transactions in 2012, representing 159 million domestic and cross-border transactions, and held more than EUR 23 trillion in assets for clients.

For more information, please visit www.euroclear.com

National Settlement Depository (NSD) is the central securities depository of the Russian Federation, a part of the Moscow Exchange Group. NSD was founded on 27 June 1996.

NSD is Russia's national numbering agency and the substitute numbering agency for the CIS, authorized to assign the international ISIN and CFI codes. The international rating agency Thomas Murray has assigned NSD an AA- rating as a central securities depository. Total value of securities on deposit with NSD amounted to RUB21.8 trillion as of 31 December 2013.

The status of central securities depository was assigned to NSD by the Russian Federal Financial Markets Service’s order #12-2761/PZ-I dated 6 November 2012.

For more information, please visit www.nsd.ru

Ask question
— Mandatory fields
 
Обратная связь
— Mandatory fields
 
Send your request and our specialists will contact you as soon as possible
— Mandatory fields