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Kazakhs demand Kashagan driving seat

Kazakhstan Prime Minister Karim Masimov announced today that Kazakh state-run player KazMunaiGas should take a leading role in developing the huge Kashagan oilfield, as the European Commission said it was confident an amicable solution could be found to the row between Astana and the Eni-led AgipKCO consortium.

"According to the Kazakh president's orders and demands, KazMunaiGaz should be a co-operator," Masimov told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference in Astana.

Speaking earlier, Masimov denied Kazakhstan was seeking to squeeze foreign investors out of its oil sector and invited the chief executive of Italy’s Eni and other senior officials for talks.

Eni is the current operator of the AgipKCO consortium, which is developing the Kashagan oilfield

"Kazakhstan is immune from so called resource nationalism. Kazakhstan has been and remains a responsible participant in the system of guaranteeing international energy security," Masimov said.

Meanwhile, Eni said it is satisfied with Masimov's statement, adding it is willing to discuss all issues related to it.

"We confirm our willingness to tackle all the issues raised together with all the partners of the Kashagan consortium," Eni said in a statement.

"We are defining the times and conditions of the meeting between Prime Minister Karim Masimov and (chief executive) Paolo Scaroni, while the KCO consortium's negotiations with the Kazakhstan authorities continue."

Earlier this morning, the European Commission said it is confident a negotiated solution between Kazakhstan and Western oil companies could be reached.

A spokesman for Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs told Reuters the EU's energy chief had visited the field and witnessed the "strict" environmental measures that Eni had taken.

He said Piebalgs was surprised about the government's environmental concerns but was confident that good relations between the European Union and Kazakhstan would help lead to a solution.

"He is confident there will be a negotiated solution," Ferran Tarradellas Espuny told the news agency.

"We are following the situation very closely."

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