Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit Norilsk Nickel, the country’s largest miner, on Monday amid a conflict between its two largest shareholders, the government press service said.
He will visit Norilsk’s copper factory in the Krasnoyarsk region and later in the day visit the republic of Sakha, the service said. In Norilsk, he will also pay tribute to political prisoners who died at the giant nickel factory during Stalin’s rule, the press service told Interfax.
Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said billionaires Oleg Deripaska and Vladimir Potanin — of warring Norilsk shareholders United Company RusAl and Interros, respectively — were unlikely to be present. “Their participation has not been planned; we are not aware of their plans. The format of the visit envisions meetings with Norilsk workers, and in that sense the presence of the chief executive officer is more expedient,” Peskov said.
(Reuters, MT)
