Sibneft director nominated for post of YUKOS board chairman

The candidacy of Sibneft president Yevgeny Shvidler is now under consideration as the most likely for the post of chairman of YUKOS board, PRIME-TASS reported Wednesday citing a source close to a YUKOS shareholder.

The source said at present, talks are underway between YUKOS and Shvidler. Under the conditions of the deal to merge YUKOS and Sibneft, which has not been declared void yet, Shvidler was to have been given the post of chairman of YUKOS board.

The option remains possible, the source said.

At present, Viktor Gerashchenko heads YUKOS board to which former YUKOS CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky is opposed.

Khodorkovsky reiterated in the statement published on July 20 his "deep personal respect for Gerashchenko as a person and politician," and expressed regret over the circumstances which prompted his appeal to Gerashchenko to step down.

In mid-July, Gerashchenko urged large YUKOS shareholders to stop resisting the execution of court decisions. "I have reasons to believe that inside and outside the company both in Russia and aboard there are groups of influence which are interested in a protracted conflict with the state, who pursue their personal mercenary interests," he said.

The YUKOS board of directors I head will be counteracting these groups in all ways," he added.


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