SAMARA, November 2 (RIA Novosti) - Russian natural gas monopoly Gazprom's purchase of a majority stake in oil major Sibneft was wrong, former Russian premier Mikhail Kasyanov said Wednesday.
"It is okay for Gazprom to buy into oil production, but it is wrong when a state-owned company seizes assets from viable private companies. I believe that the state must not place private companies under its control," Kasyanov said at a news conference in Samara.
Kasyanov, who has just begun a tour of Russian regions, was dismissed as prime minister in early 2004. He is currently under investigation for alleged illegal property transactions while in office.
