Official says investors want Evrofinance Mosnarbank for free

MOSCOW, May 13 (PRIME) -- Several investors want to receive Evrofinance Mosnarbank for free, Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseyev told reporters on Monday.

“Yes, there is interest but for free so far. I mean, no one wants to buy, they want to get it for free,” he said, adding that a decision on giving the bank away for free can be made only at the level of a budget law or a presidential decree.

In March, the U.S. added Evrofinance Mosnarbank to the sanctions list for its connection with Venezuelan state oil and gas company PDVSA.

Russia’s second biggest lender VTB Bank then transferred its entire 7.99% stake in Evrofinance Mosnarbank to the Federal State Property Management Agency free of charge. Venezuela’s national Development Fund, Fonden holds 49.99% in the bank, while Russia’s Gazprombank holds 20% in the bank directly and 5% through Novfintekh.

Moiseyev said at the end of April that the government would contribute the stake in the bank to the capital of a state-run bank or sell it to a private institution.

End