Maersk to continue developing business in Russia
MOSCOW. Feb 27 (Interfax) - Maersk plans to continue to actively develop its operations in Russia, the Danish conglomerate's CEO, Nils Andersen said at a meeting with Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov.
Maersk has already invested in the equity of Global Ports, which is a kind of launch pad for operations in Russia, and plans to continue to actively its Russian operations, Andersen said.
He said the company views the development of infrastructure in Russia with great enthusiasm, and recalled that the company has invested about $1 billion in Russian projects.
Maersk's operations have grown considerably in recent years, including on the Russian market, where it is the leading shipper for both exports and imports, Andersen said. For example, the company ships automobiles and supports the whole supply chain in this industry, he said.
Ivanov said Maersk is a strategic investor for Russia. "We see your company, at minimum, as a strategic investor. Far from all developed countries in the world even allow foreign investors in their port infrastructure. We took this step because we believe that this is the right thing to do, this will help accelerate port modernization," he said.
"Our transport infrastructure, with all its problems, has been developing very rapidly recently. At least more rapidly than the economy as a whole. We see the potential for the development of our sector, taking into account our distances, taking into account our activity in the Asia-Pacific region, as fairly high," Ivanov said.