MOSCOW, April 4 (RIA Novosti) - A senior official with Gazprombank refuted media speculations Tuesday that the bank was involved in negotiations to acquire Kommersant, a leading Russian business daily and publishing house.
Gazprombank Vice President Nikolai Senkevich said, "As general director of Gazprom-Media and vice president of Gazprombank I wish to state that neither Gazprom-Media nor Gazprombank have been involved in negotiations with the owners of Kommersant on an acquisition."
Senkevich said the speculated cost of such a deal, between $350 million and $450 million, was not commercially reasonable or attractive.
Russian media reports referring to sources close to Gazprombank, a subsidiary of Russian energy giant Gazprom, and Kommersant owner Badri Patarkacishvili said Tuesday that negotiations on the acquisition of Kommersant were underway.
