MOSCOW, July 23 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Economic Development and Trade Ministry is contemplating the transfer to Chechnya's government of a controlling stake in the Grozneftegas oil company, based in that republic, Deputy Minister Vitaly Savelyev announced Friday.
Ministry officials are examining "the legitimacy of this issue," Savelyev said. According to him, the issue will top the agenda of a recently established interdepartmental commission for the post-war reconstruction of Chechnya, which is chaired by Economics Minister Herman Gref.
The controlling stake in Grozneftegaz is now held by the Russian government's Rosneft Co.
The issue was first brought up in mid-May of this year as federal and Chechen government officials gathered for a joint session in the capital of Grozny. The possibility of handing Chechengazprom and Chechengaz over to the Russian gas giant Gazprom was also discussed at the session.
