(Reuters) – Rosneft’s chief Igor Sechin stated on Saturday that BP (NYSE 🙂 remains the largest shareholder despite it having announced its withdrawal in February following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sechin, a long-standing ally and friend of President Vladimir Putin spoke at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. He said that BP has still held stakes to large-scale Rosneft project including Taas Yuriakh Kharampurneftegaz, Yermak Neftegaz, and Kharampurneftegaz.

He stated that dividends earned to BP would go to special accounts but didn’t elaborate.