Morning:
14°c
BP pulls out rest of Russian staff
22.07.08
BP today took action to remove the remaining 60 technical specialists it employs in Russia, conceding further ground to partner TNK over the future of their joint venture.
The fractious relationship between BP and TNK shows little sign of improving. All 148 BP staff have now been withdrawn from Russia and will be offered new roles elsewhere in the group.
The 60 staff were suspended in March as their efforts to renew visas ran into obstacles.
"We are taking this action reluctantly," said a BP spokesman. It looks increasingly unlikely that the Kremlin will allow BP-TNK chief executive Robert Dudley a work visa, meaning he will also be forced to leave the country.
BP is in a bitter row with its Russian partners amid concerns Moscow wants to eject it from the business and allow a takeover by state giant Gazprom.
Dudley has, along with the rest of his BP staff in the venture, been faced with a blizzard of allegedly politically inspired attacks.
