I can't afford to be indifferent to politics, but I don't have personal ambitions.

In the Soviet Union I was the head of all oil production. And you know in the Soviet Union, you didn't get that job unless you were really worth it.

We're constantly on the look-out for new projects and monitoring the market. We'd like to bolster our core assets, including exploration, refining, processing and retailing assets in the regions where we have a strong presence.

Last year, we commissioned a new gas deposit, and our agreement with Gasport has worked.

Today, crude oil is sold at the price of the Urals brand, and in terms of quality we have been losing big money. Given the oil directly reaches the final buyer, all that money will stay in Russia.

We think that we are close to making considerable acquisitions in the European and American markets.