Russian partners ask to pull TNK-BP unit directors

By Tom Bergin

LONDON (Reuters) - The Russian billionaire co-owners of oil company TNK-BP Plc increased pressure on their partner BP Plc on Wednesday, seeking to exclude their representatives from the board of TNK-BP's core subsidiary a day before the unit's annual general meeting.

"Three Russian members of the Board of Directors of TNK-BP Holding have addressed TNK-BP CEO Robert Dudley in writing on Tuesday with request to exclude them from the list of candidates that are going to be voted for at the Annual Shareholders Meeting on June 26th," AAR consortium, which represents the Russian billionaires, said in a statement issued in Moscow.

"In the meantime, AAR representatives WILL attend the meeting on Thursday."

An AAR source, who requested anonymity, said the three Russian TNK-BP board members requesting to step down are Roman Bezrukov, Alexander Gorshkov and Boris Kondrashov.

Stan Polovets, chief executive of the Alfa-Access-Renova (AAR) consortium, told Reuters by telephone that voting at Thursday's meeting would be held on a list of candidates proposed by Dudley, because the 14 candidates proposed by AAR had not been approved by the current board.

He said the Russian shareholders had not offered alternative candidates.

Polovets told a news briefing in London earlier on Wednesday that the directors in TNK-BP Holding (TBH) would not seek reelection at the meeting.

"The Russian directors of TBH have formally informed the CEO of the company and the other (major) shareholders that they are stepping down as directors of TNK-BP Holdings," Polovets said.