Anatoly Chubais thinks Gazprom is restoring its ownership rights to NTV, and acting properly

Anatoly Chubais, chief executive of Unified Energy Systems, believes that Gazprom is restoring its ownership rights to NTV, and is acting correctly and properly, this correspondent reports. In an interview with journalists in Smolensk, Chubais noted that Gazprom "is restoring its rights of an owner - sacred and inviolate rights".

Gazprom, the UES head emphasised, is acting within the law "and very properly", although, "having a court ruling it could have acted more aggressively". In Chubais's view, "Alfred Kokh is being tactful, trying not to wound the dignity of people and the unique NTV staff". Chubais disagrees with those NTV journalists who are speaking of Gazprom's attempt to seize property. "There is a court decision, you may like it or not, but that is a court decision," the UES head emphasised. On the other hand, Chubais, who is one of the Union of Right Forces (SPS) leaders, described his attitude to the NTV situation as "far from unambiguous". SPS also has a far from unambiguous attitude to the situation around the television company. On the one hand, SPS leaders speak in support of NTV journalists, on the other they are against an aggravation of the conflict and involvement of editorial staff in it.