Russians do not love oligarchs, says Yukos head

"Seventy percent of the Russian population do not like Russian oligarchs" and another 20 percent treat them rather negatively. Head of the YUKOS oil company Mikhail Khodorkovsky (he is considered to be an oligarch in Russia) said this at the Washington-based Carnegie Foundation headquarters on Thursday when he replied to the question pertaining to his political plans and intention to participate in the presidential elections.

"Nobody raises this question seriously in Russia," he pointed out.

Khodorkovsky declared that the company he heads participates in lobbying its business interests in the State Duma which, according to him, "is absolutely normal", but it is not involved in politics.

He also stated his intention to continue business in Russia, as well as the program of supporting the civil society, and to protect himself, by legitimate methods, against the illegal, as he said, actions of the law-enforcement bodies.

Answering the question about his contacts with representatives of the George Bush administration, Khodorkovsky said that Washington is mostly interested in his business activity.

"I do not hold any meetings unknown to US society at large," the businessman stressed.

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