WASHINGTON, 20 December (RIA Novosti, Alexei Berezin)-Donald Evans, a former U.S. secretary of commerce and still close ally of George Bush, has rejected a top managerial position with state-run Russian oil major Rosneft, the Financial Times said Tuesday.
In an interview with the prestigious daily, Evans said he had discussed taking up a senior position with the company, but had decided against the move because of personal commitments.
Kommersant first reported on December 13 that oilman Evans, who left the Bush administration in 2004 but remains a Bush associate, had met with senior figures in Russia, including President Putin. His appointment, according to the paper, would have been a signal to investors that the company was in good hands in the run-up to its initial public offering next summer, probably in London, and that the "Yukos saga" would not be repeated.
