Visa problems hit British in Russian oil venture row: reports

MOSCOW (AFP) — Top managers at troubled British-Russian oil company TNK-BP could be forced to leave Russia starting next week due to problems renewing their visas, Russian newspapers reported on Tuesday.

A source close to TNK-BP told the business daily Vedomosti that nine top managers of the firm would be forced to leave Russia next week, while the daily Kommersant put the number at 10.

Kommersant said the visas of all remaining foreign staff of TNK-BP, a joint venture between Britain's BP and Russian industrialists, would expire by the end of July.

It described the problems as another blow to the British side in the dispute over Russia's third largest oil producer, in which Russian shareholders are trying to take control and oust company president Robert Dudley.

"TNK-BP's Russian shareholders are close to receiving operational control over the company," Kommersant said, although Vedomosti cautioned ...