Sources familiar with the discussions have said it isunlikely AAR will go head-to-head with Rosneft for BP's stakebecause Rosneft has more financial firepower and betterpotential for gaining the all-important Kremlin backing, and yetthe saleable value of AAR's stake could fall significantlyshould BP succeed in selling first given that Rosneft wouldbecome the dominant partner. According to the Financial Times report, AAR also said itmight seek to dispose of its half of the business through aninitial public share offering. AAR could not be reached for immediate comment but the FTquoted the chief executive of AAR as saying that by announcingtheir intention to sell the Russian partners wanted to have asmany options open as possible in the event of Rosneft acquiringBP's stake. "From our perspective we would become a financial investorin a company without any liquidity," Stan Polovets was quoted assaying in the FT's online edition.