KRASNODAR, Russia, May 16 (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will not get involved in talks to save a proposed strategic alliance between oil majors BP and Rosneft , his spokesman said on Monday.
'Prime Minister Vladimir Putin did not take part in the BP-Rosneft deal, and is not going to take part in it,' Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters on a trip to Krasnodar in southern Russia. 'It's a deal between the two companies.'
Peskov declined to comment on the possibility of extending a deadline on a share swap envisaged as part of the deal that expires on Monday night.
Nor would he comment on the possibility that BP and Rosneft could team up to buy out the billionaire co-owners of BP's Russian venture, TNK-BP, who have opposed the deal.
(Reporting by Gleb Bryanski, Writing by Douglas Busvine) Keywords: TNK BP/PUTIN (douglas.busvine@thomsonreuters.com; tel: +7 495 775 1242) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
'Prime Minister Vladimir Putin did not take part in the BP-Rosneft deal, and is not going to take part in it,' Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters on a trip to Krasnodar in southern Russia. 'It's a deal between the two companies.'
Peskov declined to comment on the possibility of extending a deadline on a share swap envisaged as part of the deal that expires on Monday night.
Nor would he comment on the possibility that BP and Rosneft could team up to buy out the billionaire co-owners of BP's Russian venture, TNK-BP, who have opposed the deal.
(Reporting by Gleb Bryanski, Writing by Douglas Busvine) Keywords: TNK BP/PUTIN (douglas.busvine@thomsonreuters.com; tel: +7 495 775 1242) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
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