Russian President promises EU that YUKOS will not lose license

Oil company YUKOS will not lose its license. As a Rosbalt correspondent reports, this was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a press conference with western media companies in Rome yesterday. He said that this should be the end of the 'YUKOS problem'.

However, EU-Russia talks begin today and Chairman of the EC Romano Prodi is intending to 'ask the Russian president about the fate of Mikhail Khodorkovsky as several billion dollars of European investment in the Russian economy depend on this.' For the Russian delegation the most important issue will be the possibility of scrapping visa regulations for people traveling between Russia and the EU.