Article 1 - Scope of Application

1. The present Law applies to international commercial arbitration if the place of arbitration is in the territory of the Russian Federation. However, the provisions of Articles 8, 9, 35 and 36 apply also if the place of arbitration is abroad.

2. Pursuant to an agreement of the parties, the following may be referred to international commercial arbitration:

- disputes resulting from contractual and other civil law relationships arising in the course of foreign trade and other forms of international economic relations, provided that the place of business of at least one of the parties is situated abroad; as well as

- disputes arising between enterprises with foreign investment, international associations and organizations established in the territory of the Russian Federation; disputes between the participants of such entities; as well as disputes between such entities and other subjects of the Russian Federation law.

3. For the purposes of paragraph 2 of this article:

- if a party has more than one place of business, the place of business is that which has the closest relationship to the arbitration agreement

- if a party does not have a place of business, reference is to be made to his permanent residence.

4. The present Law does not affect any other law of the Russian Federation by virtue of which certain disputes may not be submitted to arbitration or may be submitted to arbitration only according to provisions other than those of the present Law.

5. If an international treaty of the Russian Federation establishes rules other than those which are contained in the Russian legislation relating to arbitration (third-party tribunal), the rules of the international treaty shall be applied.