LONDON, April 24 (Reuters) - BP has a "very strong"partnership with Russian oil giant Rosneft but willsteer away from politics, Chief Executive Officer Bob Dudleysaid on Tuesday, as Moscow could face new western sanctions.
BP has a 19.75 percent stake and a board seat in thestate-owned oil and gas company.
"We have a very strong partnership with Rosneft, we have hadfor years, but we stay out of politics," Dudley told the AIPNInternational Petroleum Summit in London.
Russia could face new sanctions as western governments weighaction against Moscow over its "efforts to destabilize nations."
The Group of Seven leading industrialized nations last weekcondemned what it said was a Russian nerve agent attack inBritain. Russia denies any involvement in the attack.
(Reporting by Ron Bousso, editing by Louise Heavens)
BP (BP.)
