Ours in the city

The state has decided on its representatives in companies

The government has decided on its representatives in companies that are partially or wholly owned by the state. According to the Vremya Novostei newspaper, Mikhail Kasyanov approved candidates to the boards of directors of 65 joint-stock companies, including Gazprom, ORT, Sheremetyevo-2, Aeroflot and a number of oil companies. The only exception was RAO UES of Russia, where, according to the charter, the deadline for nominating candidates is February 28. Apparently, it is the renewal of the board of directors of RAO that will bring the main sensations.

The list of candidates for the board of directors of Gazprom (state stake - more than 38%) from the state includes 11 people. The government, as usual, will decide on the final choice (the state stake is only enough for 5 representatives on the 11-member council) on the eve of the annual meeting. One of the state candidates - Alexander Gavrin, who has just been fired from his post as Minister of Energy - can already be crossed off the list. Judging by the mood in the White House, another candidate is also a clear outsider - the head of the FEC, Andrei Zadernyuk. Five officials represent the state in the current composition of the council - First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko, Head of the Ministry of Property Farit Gazizullin, Minister of Economic Development German Gref and Minister of Antimonopoly Policy Ilya Yuzhanov. In addition to them, the government introduced the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Cabinet of Ministers Alexandra Levitskaya, the First Deputy Minister of Finance Alexey Ulyukaev and two officials of the Ministry of Energy - Deputy Minister Gennady Ustyuzhanin and the head of the department for property management in the fuel and energy sector Igor Gitlin.

The changes, most likely, will be minimal, despite the fact that at least three of the current five (Messrs. Gref, Yuzhanov and, to a lesser extent, Gazizullin) may part with their membership on the board of directors of the gas monopoly for one reason or another. According to informed officials, most likely only one of them will have to give up his place to Ms. Levitskaya.

In oil companies, the most radical changes will affect the management of Transneft (the state has 100%). 13 people have been nominated for 13 seats on the company’s board of directors, more than half of whom are “newcomers.” For the first time, the council will include Viktor Khristenko, Deputy Minister for Antimonopoly Policy Anatoly Golomolzin, First Deputy Head of the Ministry of Property Yuri Medvedev and Head of the Department of the Ministry of Property Mikhail Zagidullov, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federal Property Fund Dmitry Mazepin, First Deputy Chairman of the Federal Energy Commission Vyacheslav Ovchenkov and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Andrei Sharonov. Mr Khristenko, who heads the government commission on access to oil pipelines, is expected to replace Deputy Energy Minister Vladimir Stanev as chairman of the council. It is obvious that the position of the company’s management is weakening: previously, three representatives of Transneft were on the board of directors, and now only the company’s president, Semyon Vainshtok, is recommended for election.

In LUKOIL (state stake - about 15%) 5 candidates have been announced for two “state” seats out of 11. If the Chairman of the Russian Federal Property Fund, Vladimir Malin, apparently retains his position, then the former Deputy Minister of Energy, and now the First Deputy Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy in the Volga Region, Sergei Novikov, could be replaced by the Deputy Minister of Energy, Alexey Miller, the First Deputy Minister of Property, Yuri Medvedev, or the Deputy Minister for Antimonopoly Policy, Anatoly Golomolzin.

Minister of Economic Development German Gref will leave the board of directors of Rosneft (100%), and his ministry will not be represented by anyone in this company. The government nominated 13 candidates for 13 seats on the board of directors. In addition to Mr. Gref, recently dismissed Deputy Energy Minister Valery Garipov and First Deputy Justice Minister Eduard Renov will leave. Instead, they were nominated by First Deputy Minister of Property Yuri Medvedev and two Deputy Ministers of Energy - Alexey Miller and Anatoly Yanovsky.

Former Deputy Minister of the liquidated Ministry of Commonwealth Igor Savolsky will not be included in the new board of directors of Slavneft (74.95%). Eleven people have been nominated for 9 of the 11 seats on the council, including three new candidates - the head of the Ministry of Property Management, Mikhail Zagidullov, the Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Mr. Khabarov, and the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Leonid Tropko.

Andrey DENISOV, Oleg CHERNITSKY