MTS’ Board of Directors (BoD) has set the date for the annual general meeting of shareholders (AGM) for June 21, 2005. The record date for the Company’s share- and ADR-holders entitled to participate in the AGM and to receive dividends for 2004¹ has been set for May 3, 2005.

The BoD has approved a list of eight nominees for the Company’s seven-seat Board of Directors, which includes two independent candidates Helmut Reuschenbach, Director since 2004, and Sir Peter Middleton GCB. The other candidates are current MTS Board Members:

• Vladimir Lagutin, General Director, JSC Sistema Telecom;
• Michael Guenther, Board Member, T-Mobile Worldwide Holding GmbH;
• Alexey Buyanov, Senior Vice President, AFK Sistema;
• Fridbert Gerlach, Executive Vice President, T-Mobile International AG & Co. KG;
• Alexander Goncharuk, General Director, Joint-Stock Company KNC;
• Vassily Sidorov, President and CEO of MTS.

Other issues entered into the AGM agenda by MTS’ BoD include the election of the Review Commission, approval of the Company’s Auditor and adoption of amendments to MTS’ Charter.

Biography: Sir Peter Middleton GCB is Chairman of the Camelot Group plc, President of the British Bankers Association, Chairman of the Barclays Group Asia Pacific Advisory Committee, Deputy Chairman of United Utilities, Chairman of Sheffield Urban Regeneration Company (Sheffield One), Chairman of CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution) and Chairman of Reyniers & Co.

He is Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, a member of the International Advisory Panel of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, on the Board of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research and a member of the Advisory Boards of Marsh McLennan Companies, Financial Dynamics and Sistema. He was a Board member of Bass PLC from 1992—2001 and General Accident (later CGU) from 1992-1995.

Sir Peter was educated at Sheffield City Grammar School and at Sheffield and Bristol Universities where he studied economics and statistics. He then did two years’ National Service as a lieutenant with the RAPC.

Sir Peter spent nearly 30 years at H M Treasury, working closely with nine chancellors, and was Permanent Secretary from 1983 to 1991.

He chaired a review of the British Film Industry for the Thatcher Government and a review of Civil Justice for the Blair Government.

Sir Peter became Group Chairman of Barclays Bank PLC in April 1999 and retired in August 2004. He joined Barclays in 1991 as Group Deputy Chairman and Executive Chairman of BZW, became Chairman of Barclays Capital following the reorganization of BZW in October 1997 and was Group Chief Executive from November 1998 until October 1999.

He is an Honorary Fellow of the London Business School and was a visiting Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford. He is a member of the Court of the Guild of International Bankers and Fellow of the Institute of Bankers.

Sir Peter includes among his interests mountain walking, music (particularly opera) and most sport, including fishing.