LONDON, July 26 (RIA Novosti) - Yukos [RTS: YUKO] will not sell its 20% stake in Gazprom Neft [RTS: SIBN], a London-based spokesman said Wednesday.
On Tuesday the company's Claire Davidson confirmed Gazprom's offer to purchase the 20% stake and said the company was looking into negotiations in view of the Yukos bankruptcy hearings in a Russian court scheduled for August 1.
A meeting of creditors of Yukos voted earlier on Tuesday to recognize the company bankrupt and start liquidation procedures.
Gazprom offered to buy the stake in the former Sibneft last week. The energy giant bought a 72.66% stake in the former Sibneft from Roman Abramovich's investment vehicle, Millhouse Capital, last September for $13.1 billion. Combined with 3.016% of the company's shares the energy giant had earlier purchased from Gazprombank, it currently owns 75.679% of Gazprom Neft.
The liquidation of Yukos will end years of legal proceedings against Yukos that have saddled the company with billions of dollars in back taxes and the creditors will now apply to an arbitration court with the recommendation.
