VILNIUS, October 20 (RIA Novosti, Vladimir Vodo) - The Lithuanian parliament passed a bill Thursday giving the government the authority to obtain a $1 billion loan to purchase beleaguered Russian oil giant Yukos' 53.7% stake in oil company Mazeikiu nafta in order to resell it, possibly to the Russian-British venture TNK-BP.
Lithuanian Premier Algirdas Brazauskas said the government would now be able to hold talks on the resale of the stake with TNK-BP and other bidders.
"There are five or six companies who may participate in the talks. We have stated our position that talks will first be held with TNK-BP. If these are unsuccessful, we will hold talks with other potential buyers," Brazauskas said.
The Lithuanian government will also sell about 30% of the 40.66% stake in the company that it already owns.
Lithuanian media reported that in addition to TNK-BP, other companies showing an interest in buying the stake include Russian companies LUKoil and Gazprombank, Kazakhstan's KazMunayGaz, U.S. company ConocoPhillips, Poland's Orlen, the Swiss venture Vitol and Austria's Baltic Holding.
Mazeikiu nafta owns the only oil refinery in the Baltic states, an oil export terminal, and the Birzai pipeline.
