| Roman Abramovich's company bought some Slavneft Sibneft became a minority shareholder of Slavneft and its subsidiaries. Roman Abramovich's company acquired a 25 percent stake in the trust for managing these shares last year for $76 million, Sibneft First Vice President Alexander Korsik said yesterday at the presentation of financial statements according to international standards for 2001. The trust also includes the Tyumen Oil Company, whose structures owned the shares of the Slavneft group, and two other unrelated groups, which Sibneft refused to name, since the deal, according to Mr. Korsik, has not yet been completed. Perhaps we are talking about the shareholders of Sibneft and Russian Aluminum, as well as the structure of the ex-president of Slavneft Mikhail Gutseriev.
Mr. Korsik did not rule out that his company's share in the trust may increase - this will depend on the conditions of the auction for the sale of part (19.68%) of the state stake in Slavneft, which is planned to be held at the end of the year. Sibneft is interested in buying Slavneft, says Mr. Korsik, since the company intends to sharply increase its oil-producing assets. The government entrusted pre-sale preparations for the Russian-Belarusian Slavneft to Yuri Sukhanov, who was appointed its president. Before joining this company in 2000, Mr. Sukhanov worked at Sibneft.
The winner of the auction for the sale of part of the state stake in Slavneft, if the trust participants sell their shares to him, may become the controlling shareholder of the oil company. To do this, however, it must switch to a single share.
It is possible that, anticipating such a development of events, Belarus is already ready to part with its stake in Slavneft. Belarusian Economy Minister Vladimir Shimov announced in May that his state plans to receive a foreign loan in the amount of about $200 million secured by the republic's 10.8% stake in Slavneft. Deputy Minister of Economy of Belarus Vladimir Naidunov confirmed that the government is now “considering the possibility of pledging Slavneft shares, but there is no result yet.” Mr. Naidunov refused to say who could give a loan secured by Slavneft shares. As Interfax reports, these funds are expected to be invested in industry and agriculture of the republic. Meanwhile, according to Interfax, yesterday the Belneftekhim concern opposed receiving a loan secured by shares, citing the fact that “the shares may disappear, they will never be returned to the state, since industry and especially agriculture of the republic are not creditworthy.” Government experts also agreed with this point of view, according to whom “the state needs to be very careful when addressing this issue.” The government of Belarus stated: “In our practice, it has never been the case that highly liquid shares were pledged as loans for investments.” Nikolay GORELOV, Natalia VIKTOROVA, Minsk |
|
