Patarkatsishvili to Buy Shares in Berezovsky’s Businesses

Tbilisi-based influential media and financial tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili plans to buy into business assets of his long-time business partner Boris Berezovsky, the Russian newspaper Vedomosty reported on February 17.

“We have met a week ago in Israel and I have agreed to sell shares in business,” Berezovsky said in an interview with Vedomosty.

Georgian media sources reported on February 17 quoting Patarkatsishvili’s spokesman Guga Kvitashvili who confirmed the report.

According to Vedomosty, Patarkatsishvili will buy shares in Kommersant Publishing House, which unites the Russia’s leading business broadsheet Kommersant and two weekly magazines – the political Vlast and the financial Dengi. Berezovsky plans to sell other business assets to Patarkatsishvili as well, but he did not elaborate details, according to Vedomosty.

Paper reported that Berezovsky’s political statements and strong-worded criticism of the Russian leadership prompted Patarkatsishvili to buy out shares from his business partner.

Berezovsky told Vedomosty that he decided to sell shares because he “has no right to endanger business and his friend” by making political statements.

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