Vladimir Potanin joins forces with the International Bank for Economic Cooperation, the USSR Bank for Foreign Trade and Sberbank to create the International Company for Finance and Investments (MFK). He partners with Mikhail Prohorov in this business venture. MFK obtains the banking license to conduct ruble and foreign currency denominated transactions. MFK becomes Russia’s first financial corporation to meet international standards. It has both the financial capabilities and the professional competencies to participate in large projects on a national scale. MFK becomes a cofounder of MICEX, the Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange.