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Horst Koehler, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will discuss the YUKOS affair with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr. Koehler said at a news conference in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Monday, the news agency ARKA reports. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the head of Russia’s largest oil company YUKOS, was arrested and jailed on fraud and tax evasion charges late last month. He resigned as the company’s CEO last week. Mr. Koeher stressed that it would be inappropriate to elaborate on the agenda prior to the meeting with the Russian leader.
Meanwhile, many European neighbors expressed concern about the YUKOS affair. In particular, the issue has been addressed at a recent meeting between Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Jacques Chirac. On the eve of his visit to Italy, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an interview to the Italian media, addressing the most urgent issues for both Russia and the international community, including the YUKOS affair.
Commenting on the situation around YUKOS, Mr. Putin said that there would be no de-privatization or revision of privatization results. He said the final decision on the YUKOS case could only be made by court.
The Russian President stressed that one and all should learn the skill of living by the law and observing the law of the country. There should be a clear understanding that all citizens should observe the law at all times, and not only when taken by the throat, he stressed.
Mr. Putin admitted that the YUKOS affair had prompted the latest reshuffle in the Presidential Administration. “The situation we are talking about, became a kind of catalyst for the solution of these staff questions,” he said. Speaking about the resignation of his chief of staff Alexander Voloshin, Mr. Putin said that “this would have happened sooner or later”.
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RUSSIA IN FACTS
