The state will probably not seek to block the sale of shares in Slovenský Plynárenský Priemysel (SPP), Slovakia’s main natural gas distributor, which are currently owned by German company E.ON Ruhrgas and French firm Gaz de France. This was confirmed by Prime Minister Robert Fico during a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Sme daily reported.
“Both sides agreed that they would not interfere in the process of the possible sale of the minority stock of foreign owners of SPP,” Slovak government spokesperson Erik Tomáš told Sme.
The prospective buyers of the 49-percent share are Slovak financial group J&T and two Czech businessmen, Petr Kellner and Daniel Křetínský
Former economy minister Juraj Miškov responded to the reports by recalling that Fico had said the state would buy the minority share of the company (it already holds the remaining 51 percent).
“If he finds money to buy the private health insurers, why not [purchase] the stock in SPP?” Miškov said, as quoted by Sme.
Source: Sme
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
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