[Dmitry Lesnoy]

My name is Dmitry Lesnoy. I am the President of Russian Sport Poker Federation. As you might know a landmark decision to classify Poker tournaments as an official sports competition instead of a Gambling game was made by the Russian Sports Minister for the "Federal agency of physical culture and sport", Slava Fetisov, on March 16, 2007.

I know personally Roman Shaposhnikov and his poker school for a long time. Roman Shaposhnikov is a member of The Board of Russian Poker Federation and a respectable poker player and teacher. His company Pokermoscow and it’s poker school have been successfully working for the welfare of Russian poker for a long time. Hundreds of players studied and are studying at the poker school now. There are absolutely no doubts in his decency and I believe that statements of Party Poker are ungrounded.

It is not the first case of blocking Russian affiliates. Some time ago another Russian affiliates were blocked similarly. It seems like Party Poker blocks successful dynamic developing affiliates. I think it is not a proper way to make business in our country...