Reuters reports from Athens on Thursday that the leftist Greek government will conclude the sale of 66 percent of its state-owned natural gas grid operator (DESFA) to Azerbaijan's Socar by the end of the year.
The deal has been hovering for several years now, although creditors over the past year or so have pressured the Greek side to finally accelerate a bevy of privatizations of state assets already in the “pipeline” from previous contracts.
Relevant Energy Minister Panos Skourletis made the announcement, although he said the state-run Hellenic Petroleum (EL.PE), Greece’s biggest refinery group, was not on the sales block.
The Greek state holds a significant stake in EL.PE and shares management with private concerns.
"The government does not intend to proceed with further privatizations in the energy sector," Reuters quoted Skourletis as saying.
