MOSCOW, April 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's largest private natural gas producer, Novatek [RTS ticker: NVTK], said Monday its annual shareholders meeting would take place June 2, and slated the date of record for April 21.

Shareholders are expected to approve the company's annual report, financial statements - including the profit and loss statement to Russian Accounting Standards - as well as profit distribution, including dividend payment, and the company's losses in the financial year 2005.

The meeting is also expected to elect a new board of directors and an internal audit committee, and select an auditor for 2006.

In 2005, Novatek produced some 25.2 bln cu m of natural gas and 2.586 mln metric tons of gas condensate and oil. The company's charter capital, which stands at 303.63 bln rubles ($10.99 bln), is divided into 3,036,306 shares worth 100 rubles ($3.62) each. Its shareholders include Levit Co., which owns a 36.43% stake.

Novatek is the second largest gas company in Russia after Gazprom. Its natural gas reserves are put at 1.6 trillion cu m and its oil reserves total an estimated 259 mln metric tons.