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Deripaska Accepted Potanin
The chief of Russian tourism Vladimir Strzhalkovsky agreed yesterday to accept Vladimir Potanin’s offer to head GMK Norilsk Nickel. This offer of Potanin could be attributed to the plans to set up a global mining and metallurgical company based on Norilsk Nickel assets.
Rostourism chief Vladimir Strzhalkovsky has confirmed that he will put forward his candidacy to the office of Norilsk Nickel general director. “I have accepted the offer, as the company is big, public, stable and with no conflict with authorities,” Interfax quoted Strzhalkovsky as saying.
The offer was made by Vladimir Potanin, whose Interros Holding owns roughly 30 percent in Norilsk Nickel. In Interros, they specify that the appointment directly relates to the plans to set up a global mining and metallurgical company based on the assets of Norilsk Nickel. So far, the stumbling block was the conflict of Norilsk Nickel holders, Interros and United Rusal that bought out a blocking stake in Norilsk Nickel from Potanin’s former partner ONEXIM Group President Mikhail Prokhorov. Off-the-record, the people say Potanin wants not only to consolidate Norilsk Nickel, Rusal and Metalloinvest but also to take over some coal and chemical companies.
In early this year, however, Rusal announced the intention to take over Norilsk Nickel after finalizing the deal (which happened in April). To oppose those plans, Interros set to negotiations with Metalloinvest of Alisher Usmanov. The partners attempted to attract Rusal principal holder Oleg Deripaska, to no avail though. Nevertheless, Vladimir Potanin has prevailed in the conflict of holders. He became the BOD chairman at Norilsk Nickel and appointed Sergei Batekhin from Interros as its general director.
Strzhalkovsky is expected not only to grant the support of authorities to Norilsk Nickel but also to resolve at least some contradictions of holders.
Rusal didn’t comment on Strzhalkovsky’s candidacy, but a source familiar with the situation in Norilsk Nickel said Rusal wouldn’t be against him and Deripaska even agreed to proceed to the consolidating negotiations with Potanin. Their meeting was slated for 6:00 p.m. yesterday.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of July 30, 2008
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