January 23 (SeeNews) - Serbia's infrastructure ministry said Russia's VTB Capital is interested in investing in Belgrade's Nikola Tesla airport.
No further details were provided in a statement issued on Friday after a meeting between infrastructure minister Zorana Mihajlovic and representatives of VTB Capital and real estate company Lamda Development, owned by Greek tycoon Spiros Latsis.
Lamda Development, in partnership with Greece's EFG Eurobank, owns a land plot next to the airport.
Singidunum Buildings, in which Lamda Development holds a 55% stake and EFG Eurobank controls 45%, owns approximately 3,400 sq m next to the airport. The company expects the investment to generate significant capital gains since it has been recently included in the city of Belgrade General Urban Plan.
Belgrade airport, operated by Aerodrom Nikola Tesla [BEL:AERO], serviced record-high 4,924,992 passengers in 2016, up 3% year-on-year.
In December, Serbian prime minister Aleksandar Vucic said he is convinced that the government could strike a deal for a 25-year concession on Belgrade Nikola Tesla airport as a result of the good job done by flag carrier Air Serbia and the management of Nikola Tesla airport. According to Serbian media reports, Vinci Airports, Fraport, Bouygues, two unnamed firms from the United Arab Emirates and three from China are interested in the deal.
In June, Air Serbia launched a flight connecting Belgrade to Saint Petersburg's Pulkovo airport, operated by Northern Capital Gateway LLC, an international consortium of VTB Capital, Fraport, and Copelouzos Group, a company owned by another Greek tycoon, Dimitrios Capelouzos.