UPDATE 2: Rosneft CEO says peaceful settlement with Sistema possible

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ST. PETERSBURG, Jun 2 (PRIME) -- Russian oil major Rosneft does not rule out making a peaceful settlement with multi-industry holding Sistema in a case over oil company Bashneft, CEO Igor Sechin told reporters on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday.

“It is possible, everything is possible,” Sechin said.

Spokesman for Rosneft Mikhail Leontyev said Rosneft has no plans to submit additional lawsuits against Sistema but can formulate new claims if legal grounds appear after an audit.

“We have no plans. We are working to audit the activities of Bashneft. If legal grounds arise, we will formulate our claims,” Leontyev said.

CEO of Sistema Mikhail Shamolin said that Sistema is always ready for a dialogue regarding a peaceful settlement with Rosneft.

In May, Rosneft filed a suit seeking to recover an alleged loss from Sistema and its unit Sistema-Invest, which Rosneft believes were involved in asset stripping in Bashneft in 2009–2014, when they owned a controlling stake. The Arbitration Court of the republic of Bashkortostan registered the company’s suit on May 15 and scheduled hearings of the suit for June 6.

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