E. Kalimantan governor to visit Russia over railway project

East Kalimantan Governor Awang Faroek is scheduled to visit Russia on May 19-23 to woo Russian investors including to convince Russian Railways to start realizing the planned railway project in the province, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Saturday.

Governor Awang Faroek said that he was asked by President Joko Widodo to participate in the upcoming Russia-Asean Summit and Russia-Asean Business Forum.

Awang said he would also be accompanied by other provincial leaders and administration officials including Kutai Kartanegara and West Kutai regents as the planned railway project, which will among others transport coal produced in the province, will pass through the local regencies. The presence of the local regents in the meeting in Russia is expected to convince the investor of the land acquisition process for the project.

Awang said that top officials of provincial mining office will also come along to convince Russian Railways about the prospect of the project in relation to coal transport.

Russian Railways first unveiled its plan to build a 203-km coal railway, worth about US$1.7 billion, in 2013, linking West Kutai Regency and Balikpapan, the province?s coal and oil hub.

President Joko Widodo late last year led a ground-breaking ceremony for a number of key strategic projects in the province including the planned railway project. But since then, Russian Railways has yet to start to the construction of the project, according to Awang. (*)