Sberbank exec says RUSAL could list shares in Q1

MOSCOW, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Indebted Russian aluminium giant UC RUSAL could realise plans to float shares in Hong Kong in the first quarter of 2010, a senior official from potential investor Sberbank told reporters on Thursday. "If the IPO takes place, we intend to participate," said Bella Zlatkis, first deputy chief executive of Sberbank, Russia's largest lender. "I hope, I think, it could take place in the first quarter." Zlatkis also said she saw no risks to Sberbank's participation in the IPO from a lawsuit brought against RUSAL's main owner, Oleg Deripaska, by former associate Michael Cherney. "These risks don't frighten us. They don't exist for us. For us, the only risks are the usual risks you would have with any IPO -- market risks," Zlatkis said. (Reporting by Oksana Kobzeva, writing by Robin Paxton) Keywords: RUSAL SBERBANK/ (robin.paxton@reuters.com; +7 495 775 1242; Reuters Messaging: robin.paxton.reuters.com@reuters.net)