11 August 2003 06:42
Gazprom makes new bid for 34% stake in Lietuvos Dujos
VILNIUS. Aug 11 (Interfax) - Russia's gas giant Gazprom on Monday submitted an updated bid to the State Property
Fund for a government- owned 34% stake in the Lithuanian gas corporation Lietuvos Dujos.
The State Property Fund's press service told Interfax, quoting the chairman of the closed privatization contest
for the gas company, Deputy Economics Minister Neris Eidukevicius, that the Gazprom bid was sent for consideration to
the privatization consultant - a consortium led by BNP Paribas bank. It will now be considered by the privatization
commission and the government of Lithuania.
The contents of the new Gazprom bid have not been disclosed, but according to Eidukevicius, it is the best of those
made by the company.
Meanwhile, the Lithuanian press reports that Gazprom offered 91 million litai and a bonus of 9 million litai if
Lithuania will not regulate the price for gas delivered to major consumers.
Earlier reports said the government hoped to receive 116 million litai, the same amount as the German E.ON Energie
and Ruhrgas paid for an identical stake. Gazprom initially offered 80 million litai.
Gazprom Deputy Board Chairman Alexander Ryazanov met with Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas on August 5.
He then told reporters that the talks on the sale of the stake might be completed in August and the deal itself
concluded by the end of the year.
Presently, the Lithuanian government controls 58.36% in Lietuvos Dujos, and Ruhrgas and E.ON Energie 35.49%.
The litas exchange rate is pegged to the euro at 3.4528 litai for one euro. [LT RU EUROPE EEU EMRG NGS] ml tl
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