OREANDA-NEWS. December 17, 2008. Open Joint Stock Company “Vimpel-Communications” (“VimpelCom” or the “Company”) (NYSE: VIP) the leading provider of telecommunications services in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), today announced that its Chief Executive Officer Alexander Izosimov has been elected as the new Chairman of GSMA Board for a two-year term replacing Craig Ehrlich, a board member of Hutchison Mobile Communications.

Rob Conway, CEO and board member stated that Mr. Izosimov “with his exceptional telecom experience and understanding of leading international businesses will enable the GSMA Association to build on the foundations laid by Craig, providing the commercial, strategic and technical insights that will prepare our industry for an era of mass-market mobile broadband services and an increasingly rich mobile lifestyle for its billions of customers.”

“The GSMA Board, with its wealth of expertise, intellect and business acumen, is well placed to steer the mobile community through the opportunities and challenges presented by the global economic slowdown, the rise of investment-stifling regulation, the release of new spectrum and the convergence of mobile and Internet services,” Alexander Izosimov said. “It is a great honour for me to become the Chairman of the Association and I am looking forward to working with the CEO and the Board to ensure that the GSMA remains at the vanguard of our industry.”

The new GSMA Board consists of 26 members: 25 representatives of GSM operators and the Association CEO Robert Conway. Alexander Izosimov has been a GSMA Board member since January 1, 2007.