Russia's top migration official said on Wednesday that the lack of a valid employment contract for the head of the Russian-British joint oil venture TNK-BP was not a violation of Russian migration laws.
On Monday, Russia's Federal Migration Service (FMS) granted a work permit to TNK-BP's American CEO Robert Dudley. However, the executive still needs to have his visa renewed to be able to work in Russia.
"He [Dudley] is committing no crime," Konstantin Romodanovsky said.
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d to comment on possible sanctions against Dudley if he fails to submit a contract by July 29, saying that the work of the migration authorities was "secret."
Dudley had his visa extended until July 29 last Saturday.
The ongoing row between four Russian billionaire shareholders in TNK-BP and the British oil major, each owning 50% in Russia's third largest oil producer, has been over strategy, with the Russian investors also demanding cuts in the number of foreign staff on secondment from BP.
Romodanovsky complained that the corporate conflict at TNK-BP had spilled over into migration laws.
"As for the FMS, we have always been hospitable and ready to help foreigners," he said.
In the latest development, an arbitration court in West Siberia's Tyumen Region said earlier on Wednesday that the temporary transfer of foreign technical staff to TNK-BP by British major BP in late March was illegal.
TNK-BP is Russia's third largest crude producer.
MOSCOW, July 23 (RIA Novosti)
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