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Uralkali Sale Denied

Potash miner Uralkali has not received any information on possible shareholder changes, its chief financial officer said Tuesday, following media speculation of buying interest in main shareholder Suleiman Kerimov's stake.

Uralkali, the world's leading producer of the fertilizer ingredient, has been at the center of a conflict between Russia and Belarus sparked when the firm quit a joint sales cartel in July.

The row led Belarus to arrest Uralkali's head Vladislav Baumgertner on Aug. 26 and fueled media speculation in Russia that Kerimov may sell his 21.75 percent stake.

"We don't have any additional information from our big shareholders concerning potential changes in the shareholder structure," Viktor Belyakov, Uralkali's chief financial officer and acting chief executive, said on a conference call.

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