Aeroflot is still interested in buying troubled Italian carrier Alitalia and would consider presenting an offer if the conditions of sale became more advantageous for the Russian airline than in the past.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Aeroflot spokesperson Irina Dannenberg said the Russian airline ''has been following media reports on the ongoing negotiations and has still not ruled out making a bid for Alitalia.
''Anything could happen. Should the current talks fail and new sale conditions emerge, then we would be ready to examine them''.
Air France-KLM is currently in talks with Alitalia to buy the Treasury's controlling 49.9% stake in the Italian airline but a real risk exists that the negotiations will fail because of union and political opposition.
Many observers see bankruptcy as the only alternative and this would lead to the airline being broken up and its assets - including planes, routes and slots - sold to pay debts.
Aeroflot took part in last summer's failed auction for Alitalia and was also on the shortlist of possible buyers which the Treasury later sounded out about engaging in exclusive negotiations.
In both cases the Russian carrier withdrew because of what it considered excessive conditions imposed on the sale by the Treasury.
These included maintaining employment levels, keeping some loss-making routes and retaining the Alitalia brand and logo.
Alitalia in December chose Air France-KLM as its preferred talking partner and while the airline's board and the Treasury have accepted the offer it presented last month, trade unions have rejected it and demanded changes.
There is currently an April 3 deadline for Air France-KLM and Alitalia unions to work out their differences. Talks had been scheduled to resume on Tuesday but were postponed 24 hours ''to examine details,'' an airline spokesman said.
The sale has also become a political issue ahead of this month's general elections and former premier Silvio Berlusconi, whose center-right coalition is ahead in the polls, has vowed to reject the ''insulting'' French-Dutch offer.
Air France-KLM said when it presented its bid that it wanted the approval of unions as well as the outgoing and future Italian government.
Alitalia has not posted an operating profit since 1998. Its net debt currently stands at some 1.2 billion euros and the airline is reported to be losing abound one million euros a day.
