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Iran asks Russia for $2bln loan to build power plants, railroads - energy minister

According to Alexander Novak, taking into account earlier decisions on loans to Iran, the loans might amount to a total of about $5 billion

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak Kirill Kukhmar/TASS

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak

© Kirill Kukhmar/TASS

MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/. Iran has filed a request for a loan of $2 billion from Russia to build power plants, railroads and to purchase subway cars, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Saturday.

"They did make a request for intergovernmental loans to implement certain projects. The Finance Ministry is considering the issue. Among them are the construction of power plants, hydroelectric power plants and railroads and the delivery of subway cars. It is approximately $2 billion (the requested amount of the new loan - TASS)," Novak said.

According to the Russian energy minister, taking into account earlier decisions on loans to Iran, the loans might amount to a total of about $5 billion.

"They are asking to have the total [of earlier provided loans] come to up to $5 billion," Novak said.

Earlier, Iran’s parliament greenlighted the country’s government to make a request of a loan of $5 billion from Russia. Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami had spoken about a loan of $3 billion for Tehran to build a North-South Transport Corridor.

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