Shareholder meetings

The General Shareholders’ Meeting represents the highest governing entity at Rostelecom. The Company complies with all necessary procedures in order to guarantee shareholders' rights to participate in the Company’s management by way of voting at the General Shareholders’ Meetings. The Company prepares, convenes and conducts General Shareholders’ Meetings pursuant to the applicable laws of Russia, the Charter and the Regulations on General Shareholders’ Meeting of the Company.

The Company observes the following principles with respect to the General Shareholders’ Meetings:

• maintenance of fair and effective procedures for submitting proposals for agenda items, including proposals for the nomination of candidates to the Board of Directors and the Audit Commission;
• preparation of the necessary information for the General Shareholders’ Meetings both in Russian and English and its circulation to shareholders;
• disclosure of information concerning the General Shareholders’ Meetings through the mass media, the Company's website, and direct mailing to shareholders upon their request drawn up in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations;
• availability of contact information in distributed materials and the ability to contact the Corporate Secretary and Corporate Governance Department concerning shareholders’ rights;
• selection of the time and venue of the General Shareholders’ Meetings to best balance the need of the Company to run the meeting cost-effectively and to encourage widespread attendance at the meeting; and
• attendance of the members of the Board of Directors, the Management Board, the President, the Audit Commission and a representative of the independent auditor.

Pursuant to section 15 of the Charter Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting is held between 1^st of May and 30^th of June of the year following the reporting year.

Pursuant to section 16 of the Charter Extraordinary General Shareholders’ Meeting takes place:

• upon request of the Company’s Audit Commission;
• upon request of the Company’s independent auditor;
• upon request of any shareholder (or group of shareholders) owning in total at least 10 percent of the Company’s voting shares;
• upon decision of the Board of Directors.

Rostelecom notifies the shareholders about General Meetings no less than 30 (thirty) calendar days prior to the meeting date by communicating a notice about the meeting to them in accordance with Article 18.2 of the Charter and placing the meeting materials on the Company’s website. 

Voting ballots are sent by registered mail to persons entitled to participate in the General Meeting no less than 20 (twenty) calendar days prior to the meeting date. 

Private persons attending General Meetings must have a passport or another identifying document; representatives of legal entities or private persons must have a passport or another identifying document, and a document confirming their authority.