MOSCOW, May 17 (Reuters) - Russia could reduce its stake inoil producer Rosneft this year, bringing forward aprivatisation that had been scheduled for 2016, the economyminister was quoted as saying on Saturday.
Vedomosti newspaper reported last week, citing twogovernment sources, that Russia could sell 19.5 percent ofRosneft as early as this autumn or in 2015.
"Nothing prevents us from completing this deal in thecurrent year, the market conditions are not bad and technicallywe are fully prepared," Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev wasquoted by RIA news agency as saying.
Ulyukayev, taking part in an Asia-Pacific EconomicCooperation (APEC) trade ministers meeting in the Chinese cityof Qingdao, said that both Russian and foreign investors hadexpressed interest, according to RIA.
The state owns 69.5 percent of Rosneft, the world's largestlisted oil company by production, but it eventually plans toreduce its shareholding to 50 percent plus one share.
Russia's stock market has fallen sharply in recent months asa result of the East-West standoff over Ukraine, reducing theprice that Russia could receive by selling state companies.
However, there may have been a preliminary agreement withstrategic investors from Asia, analysts cited by Vedomosti said.
British oil major BP is the second-biggest Rosneftshareholder with a 19.75 percent stake. (Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
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