BRATISLAVA, August 24, (WEBNOVINY) — Transport Minister Jan Figel (KDH) expects that the tender to select a strategic partner for the rail freight transport operator Cargo Slovakia will be initiated in spring 2012. The future partner is to get at least a 66 percent stake in the state-operated company and should be picked by summer 2012. Meanwhile, in autumn 2011, the ministry plans to choose a consultant for the entry of the investor in an already opened public contest. The offered stake in Cargo has attracted the interest of Russian Railways and also unnamed other companies in countries westward from Slovakia.
Figel said that the preliminary interest of Russian Railways was a premature issue. He emphasized that he is well-aware of increasing interest in the Slovak company and confirmed several interested entities, not only the Russian company. Figel noted that the revitalization of the ailing company is continuing, regardless of the future tender’s outcome.
With regard to a potential entry of the Czech rail freight operator CD Cargo, the minister just remarked that he invited his Czech partner Pavel Dobes to Slovakia. “If he not only accepts the invitation but also has time, then we are supposed to negotiate in Bratislava in the first half of September. I assume that concrete topics about railways and cooperation could be raised,” he said.
The prime minister’s aide for transport and SDKU-DS MP, Ondrej Matej, has suggested selling the 100 percent stake in Zeleznicna Spolocnost Cargo Slovakia to Russian Railways. He confirmed that this was his proposal as part of cooperation in the wide-gauge track project. In his words, the Russian state-operated firm would be encouraged to relocate approximately 12 million tons of cargo annually, which is presently transported on ships, to the railway across Slovakia.
Matej believes that the cooperation of Russian Railways and Cargo Slovakia would be of great importance after the potential merger of the companies’ assets. Slovakia would become a strategic player in transshipping goods coming from Asia to Europe.
SITA