Ulyukaev opposed the sale of Bashneft to the state company

Bashneft was supposed to have been included in the privatization plan and sold by the general rules but not purchased by the controlled by the Government company, the Minister of Economic Development, A. Ulyukaev, said in the interview to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

“I think Bashneft should be privatized by the general rules but not by means of purchase by another enterprise controlled by the Government”, the Minister said answering the question if Bashneft can be sold to Rosneft in the framework of privatization. According to him, if one State enterprise is sold to another one, it can be called privatization.

The Russian oil sector is very competitive and the Government doesn’t have any reasons to have stakes in it, “so we will privatize Rosneft as well”, the Minister said.