Russia Norilsk CEO: no 2008 dividends, lower profit

MOSCOW, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Russia's Norilsk Nickel, the world's largest producer of the metal, will not pay dividends in 2008 and expects full-year profits to fall due to the financial crisis, its chief executive said on Thursday. "The company has recognised that amid the crisis conditions and the resulting fall in industrial demand for its metals products, it will not pay dividends," Vladimir Strzhalkovsky told reporters. Strzhalkovsky said that the miner will produce 234,000 tonnes of nickel in 2008 in Russia and 230,000 tonnes in 2009,He added that the Norilsk will produce 380,000-390,000 tonnes of copper in 2009.