An ambassador for Vizhinjam project
Friday April 6 2007 08:36 IST
T’PURAM: The State Government’s efforts to enlist Russian help for setting up the deepwater container transshipment hub at Vizhinjam received a boost on Thursday with the Russian Ambassador to India Vyacheslav I Trubnikov assuring all help for the project.
Russian officials will participate in the Vizhinjam Project Investors’ Meet that will be organised on April 17 in Thiruvananthapuram, Trubnikov told Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan at a meeting here.
In the city for the Russian Cultural Festival, Trubnikov also promised to take up the state’s request for using part of the ‘Rupee-Rouble’ fund for setting up the Rs 4,350-crore project at Vizhinjam, some 16 km from the city.
Trubnikov was accompanied by Russian Consul General for South India Vladislav Antonyuk and head of the cultural department of the Russian Embassy Fyoder Rozovskiy. Law Minister M Vijayakumar was also present on the occasion.
After the Central Government shot down Chinese participation in the Vizhinjam project, the State Government had chosen to float fresh global bids.
Rosoboronexports Corporation, the Russian agency through which all its defence deals are conducted, had shown interest in the project. Russian officials had also met Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan in New Delhi two months ago.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, during his January visit to New Delhi, had announced his nation’s readiness to use the ‘Rupee-Rouble’ fund for infrastructure projects in India. The State Government, on its part, had requested the help of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister A K Antony for getting Russian aid for the project.
Apart from the Russians, heavyweights who have shown interest in taking up the multi-crore project include BPL patriarch T P G Nambiar and entrepreneur Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
In his meeting with the Chief Minister, the Russian Ambassador also evinced his country’s interest in investing in the tourism sector and collaborative projects with the Travancore Titanium Products. It was also decided at the meeting to hold discussions on the proposed investments shortly.
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