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Press ReleasesFrontier Strategy Group Managing Director Alex Turkeltaub Discusses How Mining and Oil Companies Must Prepare Themselves for the New Wave of Resource Nationalism on ROBTv’s Program “SqueezePlay” (Canada) CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 17, 2006 – Frontier Strategy Group Managing Director and expert on resource nationalism Alex Turkeltaub appeared on the ROBTv Program “SqueezePlay” on May 16, 2006 to discuss how mining and oil companies can best respond to the current wave of resource nationalism. In the current geopolitical environment, “companies need to be very clear with their boards of directors and shareholders about the [above-ground] risks they face,” Turkeltaub observed. “This means conducting extensive scenario planning and understanding how governing structures may change in host countries over the life of an investment - companies must do their homework.” Commenting on the differences between the oil and mining industries, Mr.Turkeltaub argued that the resource nationalism that has been evident in the oil industry over the past five years is now spreading to the minerals sector. “Mining companies have been slow to recognize that they are also under the gun . . . there is a misperception in a lot of mining boardrooms that there are still ‘safe’ parts of the world such as Africa and Mongolia,” Turkeltaub noted. “But resource nationalism could impact almost any country, although the key drivers of the phenomenon often differ. In places like Russia, it is really about centralizing government control over resources and leveraging this as a tool of foreign policy; in places such as Bolivia it is more about domestic politics and satisfying a core constituency [of President Evo Morales].” Mr. Turkeltaub emphasized that companies need not be blindsided by above-ground challenges such as the nationalization wave in Latin America or the unrest in the Niger Delta. “Preparing for such above ground challenges should be part of the scenario planning that companies conduct prior to making large investments. Companies can be very successful if they look for early indicators and warning signals, and prepare response strategies accordingly.” An archive of ROBTv’s 5pm “SqueezePlay” broadcast can be found at: http://www.robtv.com/shows/past_archive.tv About Alex TurkeltaubAlex Turkeltaub heads the Former Soviet Union and Middle East Mining & Energy practice at the Frontier Strategy Group. About Frontier Strategy GroupFrontier Strategy Group is a global consulting and research firm that specializes in the above-ground geopolitical, regulatory, environmental, and social risks facing the natural resources industries. Frontier Strategy Group is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has offices in New York and Washington DC. Media Contact:
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