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US, EU investors mull participation in privatization in Russia — source

Investors are ready to take any risks, including those not of economic nature, but geopolitical ones

MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. Investors from the US and EU are actively discussing participation in privatization of Russian state assets and are ready to take geopolitical risks, a source in investment and banking circles told TASS.

"We are now in contact with many investors and strategists from the US and Europe. The possibility to take part in privatization seems attractive to them. They are ready to take risks, which are not of economic nature, including geopolitical risks. Now there is no investment boom but it is boom of interest in Russia," the source said.

According to the source, foreign investors fear "abnormal situations".

In particular he mentioned the case of Rosneft and BP when some media reported that buyers of 19.5% of Rosneft will be obliged to sign a shareholder agreement with BP, which owns 19.75% in the Russian company, Later Rosneft denied the information.

"But the interest in (privatization -TASS) is there, no doubt about it, also among Asian investors," the source said.

In January, President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia plans to sell stakes in state-owned companies Rosneft, Bashneft, VTB, Alrosa and Sovkoflot.