It was alleged that Lord Mandelson’s presence was required to assure both parties that EU aluminium import tariffs would not rise in the near future. Mr Rothschild insisted that he only invited Lord Mandelson along because he was a long-standing friend who had expressed an interest in visiting Siberia. The court was told that Lord Mandelson did not attend the dinner at the Cantinetta Antinori restaurant but instead held an informal meeting with a Russian minister in one of the restaurant’s private rooms. Later that evening, the group took Mr Deripaska’s private jet to Abakan in Siberia, where he has business interests and a vast estate.