SOFIA (Bulgaria), June 22 (SeeNews) – State-owned Russian Railways, RZD, are interested in implementing infrastructure projects in Bulgaria, Ukrainian media reported on Thursday.
However, it seems unlikely at the moment that the company will make a move in this regard as EU sanctions on Russia make it too difficult, Sergei Pavlov, CEO of RZD's subsidiary RZD International, said as quoted by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
RZD's website also lists Bulgaria among its prospective projects, the agency says.
On December 19, 2016, the Council of the EU prolonged the economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy until end-July 2017. The measures were initially introduced in July 2014 in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine.
Earlier today, Mansurbek Sultanov, deputy managing director of the RZD International's Serbian unit, said the company has started preparatory works for the overhaul of the Belgrade-Budapest railway line. RZD International will be in charge of the overhaul of the Stara Pazova-Novi Sad railway section, which includes the Cortanovci tunnel, and plans to start the reconstruction works in July, he added.