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Kazakhstan to Clear Way for Crude to Lithuania
Russia’s crude shipment monopoly, Transneft opposes creation of competitive conditions for KazMunayGas bidding for the stocks of Lithuanian Mazeikiu Nafta (MN), said Kazakh Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Vladimir Shkolnik. Prompted, perhaps, by Transneft's recall of signature affixed to documents that provide technical facilities for shipping Kazakh crude to Lithuania, Shkolnik stepped in with a hash statement on the eve of the meeting between Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and his Kazakh counterpart Danial Akhmetov.
Obviously well-informed in issues yet withheld from the public at large by Lithuania, Shkolnik explicitly told Interfax-Kazakhstan Sunday “Lithuanian government has completed acceptance of bids for selling the 53.7 percent in MN.” It turned out KazMunayGas outbid the others, having offered more than $1 billion. “The standing of Transneft on the issue violates the crude shipment agreement concluded by governments of Russia and Kazakhstan on June 7, 2002 and doesn’t provide for creating competitive conditions for KazMunayGas bidding for the stocks of MN,” Shkolnik specified.
MN comprises the Baltic region’s only refining complex - Mazeikiu refinery, a crude terminal and a Birzu Naftotiekis pipeline enterprise. Netherlands-incorporated YUKOS International UK B.V. holds 53.7 percent in MN, Lithuanian government owns 40.66 percent. Lithuania intends to buy out the MN stake from YUKOS and resell it together with some portion of the state-run stake in the company.
So far, Lithuanian officials have always tipped TNK-BP as a frontrunner.
Transneft President Semen Vainshtok declared past Thursday Russia’s crude shipment monopoly has recalled its signature affixed to the document that provides technical facilities for delivering Kazakh oil in direction of Lithuania. The document in question, sources with Transneft said, is an agreement made between Transneft and KazMunayGas-owned Kaztransoil, whereby Transneft undertook not to oppose the transit of Kazakh oil to Lithuania, should the governments of Kazakhstan and Russia amend their agreements accordingly. Backed up by the amendments, Kazakhstan counted on annual shipment of 7 million tons of crude to Lithuania with further extension to 12 million tons of crude on year.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Nov. 21, 2005
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