Miller denies plans to go into politics
PRAGUE. June 2 (Interfax) - The chief executive of Russia's Gazprom , Alexei Miller, has denied any plans to go into politics and has said he will stay at the held in the company for the next five years.
"On May 30 it was 10 years that I'd been the chief executive officer of Gazprom. The state has extended my contract by another five years, and so I'll devote the next five years to what I've begun," Miller told reporters.
In mentioning an interview he had recently with German magazine Der Spiegel, Miller said he had been called "an extension of the Kremlin's hand" and Russia's "second foreign minister" in one of the questions. "What a lot of cliches you have!" he responded.
Miller also credited Gazprom with being quick at managerial decisions and said this gave the gas giant competitive advantages over other major companies.
He said he starts every morning by meeting with senior managers. "Decisions are made on production, storage, transportation and distribution arrangements. Gazprom owes such promptness to being a vertically integrated company," Miller said.