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Rosneft, Sibur deny holding talks to buy stakes in Belarusian companies

Russia`s oil company Rosneft and petrochemical company Sibur denied on Wednesday that they were in talks with the Belarusian government to purchase stakes in Belarusian enterprises.

When reached by BelaPAN, the press office of Rosneft said that it was not negotiating to buy stakes in nitrogen fertilizer company Hrodna Azot and the Mazyr oil refinery, while a spokesman for Gazprom-controlled Sibur denied that any talks were underway about the purchase of a Hrodna Azot stake.

Speaking to reporters in Moscow on July 12, Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich said that Minsk was negotiating with Russian companies to sell the government`s stakes in seven companies.

In particular, he said, Minsk is negotiating the sale of a stake in Hrodna Azot with Sibur and Rosneft, a stake in the Naftan oil refinery with LUKoil, a stake in Beltranshaz (gas pipeline network) with Gazprom, a stake in the Mazyr oil refinery with Rosneft, a stake in Mobile Telesystems (mobile phone network) with AFK Sistema, a stake in Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) with Russkiye Mashiny (Russian Machines Co.) and Rostekhnologii and a stake in Intehral (Minsk-based electronics company) with Rostekhnologii.

All these deals are being negotiated, although the process could be more dynamic, Mr. Myasnikovich said.