Oct 12 (Reuters) - Russia's privatisation drive will be moreefficient after the country's largest oil producer Rosneft purchases a state stake in mid-sized oil firm Bashneft, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.
Speaking at an economic forum, Putin said that now a 19.5percent stake in Rosneft could be sold to private foreigninvestors.
The Russian government asked Rosneft board to approve thepurchase of a 50.1 percent stake in Bashneft for a price nothigher than 330 billion roubles ($5.3 billion).
($1 = 62.2255 roubles) (Reporting by Alexander Winning and Katya Golubkova, Writing byAndrey Ostroukh, Editing by Vladimir Soldatkin)
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