The Court of First Instance annulled the ex parte order declaring a Russian award enforceable. The award had been rendered against a signatory of a settlement agreement, as well as against nonsignatory companies of the same group. While arbitration agreements may be concluded orally, as long as they can be proven, and Belgian law no longer requires the submission of the original arbitration agreement or a copy thereof together with the exequatur application, the arbitration clause on which the award was based had been in writing. In the Court’s view, it could not be reasonably argued that some companies of the same group were bound by the arbitration agreement in writing and others orally. See also GERMANY 172 and HUNGARY 17, rendered in the same case.