Sberbank declined to comment on whether Gref had been offered the post.

There has been no proposal that is acceptable to us, Gref told reporters.

As far as I know, there is no final decision taken yet, Gref said.

Gref said the banking sector would not require any assistance, at least this year.

The information that came out was not quite accurate, CEO German Gref told reporters.

Gref said the share price plummeted because two unidentified investors suffered from margin calls.

Sberbank Chief Executive German Gref was in Minsk on Friday.

Without that, the task of reducing the budget deficit will not be achievable, Gref said.

Turkey is a much more significant goal, Gref said.

Gref asked if a long-term lease was acceptable instead.

Gref also said Sberbank could offload its Opel stake in the future to a Russian company.

Gref forecast the earnings uplift from Troika at $200 million per year over that timeframe.

Even the word YUKOS is taboo and officials and other businessman rushed to play down Gref's words.

It is an abnormal situation when one stock makes up for half of the daily trade, said Gref.

Gref, a prominent political and business figure, drafted the liberal reform program for Vladimir Putin's first presidential term.

Sberbank is headed by former Russian Economics Minister German Gref, a close ally of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.