TNK-BP CEO needs working contract to obtain visa

The battle continues for the Chief Executive Office of TNK-BP, Robert Dudley.  The joint venture between BP and 4 Russian billionaires has been in jeopardy over issues regarding the visas of its British employees, including CEO Robert Dudley.  Without visas the British portion of the venture could lose operational control to the Russians.

Currently, the migration service of the Russian government said that they can not grant Dudley a visa because he does not have a valid working contract.  Dudley did have a contract but it expired sometime last year.  BP officials claim that according to Labor Code in Russia the contract needs to be terminated or else it automatically rolls over and therefore his contract is still valid.

A spokesperson for the Federal Migration Service, Konstantin Poltoranin said "We cannot grant a visa to Mr. Dudley before he presents a valid contract. The previous contract expired and we have no proof that it has been prolonged."

Dudley's visa was set to expire on the 19^th of July but the Russian government has issued him a transit visa that will allow him to remain in the country until the 27^th of July.  Poltoranin said of the extension "He [Dudley] has been given 10 days to present a contract. We may extend his visa one more time, but without a valid contract, he cannot work in Russia,"

A source from within TNK-BP has said that "Obviously the pressure is mounting.  The likelihood is that somehow they will try to engineer Dudley's suspension this week so that the Migration Service can then say they don't need to consider his visa request and he has to leave.  It's ridiculous but this is the reality."

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