Russia To Grant Visa To TNK-BP No. 2 Executive
July 28, 2008
By Reuters
MOSCOW -- Russian immigration authorities have said they would grant a visa to TNK-BP Chief Operating Officer Tim Summers, allowing him to stay in the country after the chief executive of BP's Russian joint venture left.
"There are no problems. We'll give him his visa tomorrow," Federal Migration Service spokesman Konstantin Poltoranin told Reuters.
"As far as the rest of the employees go, we are working on it. There are no conflicts," he said.
TNK-BP Chief Executive Robert Dudley left Russia on July 24, citing uncertainty around the status of his work visa and saying he and his company had been subject to a campaign of harassment.
Summers' visa, like Dudley's, was due to expire on July 28.
The problems with visa renewal are part of a bigger row between BP and its four Russian-connected billionaire partners.
BP's partners have demanded Dudley's ouster in a tug of war over management control and strategy at Russia's third-largest oil producer. Dudley said he would continue to manage the company from outside Russia.
Moscow prosecutors issued Dudley with a summons to appear on July 28 for questioning over labor practices, TNK-BP said on July 26.