UPDATE2: Onexim denies decision to sell Russian assets-agency

(Adds comments by Onexim CEO in paragraphs 1, 2)

MOSCOW, Jul 4 (PRIME) -- Onexim Group made no decision to sell its Russian assets, like business daily Vedomosti reported, CEO Dmitry Razumov said, according to Bloomberg.

“It is not correct to make a conclusion about “a sale of all assets in Russia” based on the fact of talks. We have not made any “decisions” on this issue. The group was, is and will be an important player on the Russian market keeping strategic interest in investments in our country,” Razumov said.

Vedomosti reported citing sources that Onexim has decided to sell all its assets after searches held by tax authorities in April that were connected with a criminal case against the former shareholders of Bank Tavrichesky.

Onexim holds stakes in aluminum giant UC RUSAL, fertilizer producer Uralkali, insurance company Soglasie, banks Renaissance Capital, Renaissance Credit and the International Financial Club Bank (IFC Bank), power producer Quadra, developer OPIN, and media holding RBC.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin has not exerted any pressure on Prokhorov to sell.

“No, this is a complete stupidity, I’ve already said it, and it is in the newspaper as well. This is an absolute stupidity. That’s out of the question,” he said.

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