Official: Russia has chances to sell 19.5% in Rosneft this year

BOLSHOI KAMEN, Primorsky Region, Sep 1 (PRIME) -- There is a chance to privatize Russian oil major Rosneft by the end of the year, presidential aide Andrei Belousov told reporters Thursday.

“It is. In accordance with the schedule we should have time to do it,” he said.

Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said in late August that the government may have no time to privatize 19.5% in Rosneft this year, but privatization of the company is a priority, because the asset is interesting for investors and its price accounts for about 1% of Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP), which means that privatization would reduce the budget shortfall problem to a large extent.

Earlier, the government postponed privatization of a 50.08% stake in oil company Bashneft to beyond 2016 and decided to refocus on privatization of Rosneft.

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