LONDON (AP) -- BP's chief executive says he is confident that the oil company's latest deal in Russia won't hurt its ties with the United States.
BP last week seal a deal with Russian oil company Rosneft to explore for oil in the Arctic. BP is taking a 9 percent stake in Rosneft, which in turn is getting 5 percent of BP shares.
A member of the U.S. Congress warned the deal could threaten national security and referred to BP as "Bolshoi oil."
At a briefing on Wednesday, BP CEO Bob Dudley joked that "a couple of unusual comments" had been made.
He said he didn't expect serious problems in the U.S. He said, "I think most people recognize that a 5 percent shareholding will not change our direction."
He added: "Our commitment to the U.S. is as strong as ever."
BP last week seal a deal with Russian oil company Rosneft to explore for oil in the Arctic. BP is taking a 9 percent stake in Rosneft, which in turn is getting 5 percent of BP shares.
A member of the U.S. Congress warned the deal could threaten national security and referred to BP as "Bolshoi oil."
At a briefing on Wednesday, BP CEO Bob Dudley joked that "a couple of unusual comments" had been made.
He said he didn't expect serious problems in the U.S. He said, "I think most people recognize that a 5 percent shareholding will not change our direction."
He added: "Our commitment to the U.S. is as strong as ever."
