Norway suspended the sale of the Rolls-Royce plant for the Russian company, fearing for its national security

National Security Office (Nasjonal Sikkerhetsmyndighet, NSM) warned the British company Rolls-Royce that the country's authorities are considering the possibility of introducing a ban on the sale of its Norwegian "daughter" to the division of Russian "Transmashholding" (TMX). Its co -owners are billionaires Iskandar Makhmudov and Andrei Bokarev.

The fact that Rolls-Royce and TMX agreed to sell a Russian company for 150 million euros of the Bergen Engines diesel and gas piston engines located in Bergen in early February 2021. However, Oslo admits the possibility of prohibition of a transaction in the interests of national security, writes NRK .

“It is possible that the sale of Bergen Engines may entail a risk for the interests of national security. Therefore, it is necessary to suspend the process in order to collect enough data to evaluate such a transaction,” said Monica Miland, Minister of Justice and Emergency Situations of Norway.

According to her, the Norwegian authorities are interested in the arrival of foreign investors, but they also understand the potential threat of such investments for national interests. “We must pay special attention to foreign investments in strategic sectors,” Miland emphasized.

The report on the website of the Norway Government notes that the Minister of Justice turned to the chairman of the country's single -fed parliament with a proposal to tell the Storting deputies about Bergen Engines and the Cabinet's position. At the same time, the Minister of Defense of Norway Frank Bakke-Yensen can also speak to parliamentarians, RBC reports.

Meanwhile, representatives of a number of Norwegian parties subjected the government sharply in connection with the preparation of a disputed transaction. The leader of the Socialist Left Party of Norway Audun Lisbacken believes that the authorities have been inactive for a long time, and now they are taking “panic” steps.

And the representative of the Right Party of Progress, Christian Thabiring-Jeded, added that the government "does not control the situation" even in national security matters. In his opinion, from the very beginning the issue of concluding such a transaction was to be considered by the Government Committee on Security, and not the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The representative of Rolls-Royse Richard Ray told Bloomberg that the company has timely warned Norway authorities about the preparatory transaction with TMX. "However, we understand the current desire of the Norway Government to study the deal deeper, and Rolls -Royce will provide any possible assistance. At the request of the [authorities of Norway], we suspended the sale process," said Richard Ray.

The previously published joint statement by Miland and Bakke-Yensen noted that the diesel engines produced by Bergen Engines cannot be called “strategic defense technology”, however, even investments that at first glance have a threat can cause damage to national security in the long run. The document also emphasized that Bergen Engines supplies the Navy’s products and the coastal protection of Norway, as well as the countries-illegal countries. At the same time, the plant is not considered a supplier of military products and formally the transaction with it does not fall under the law on security.

"One thing is completely clear. It is unreasonable to allow the Russian company to serve important defense equipment," the ministers' statement said.

An expert from the Naval Academy of the table Ulriksen believes that Bergen Engines will help Russians get to know Norwegian military equipment closer. In addition, the capacities of the plant can be used to re -equip the Russian army.

In February 2021, TMX explained the intention to acquire Bergen Engines with the desire to "expand the presence of the holding in the global diesel market, primarily gas engines intended for use in autonomous energy systems that provide energy supply to small settlements or large enterprises."

Bergen Engines includes metalworking and assembly production capacities, high -precision casting workshops, a repair shop and a design bureau, as well as a network of service centers in 7 countries of the world.

Since the foundation in 1946, Bergen Engines has put more than 7,000 engines to customers, of which 5,000 are currently in operation. At the moment, about 900 employees work in Bergen Engines.

"Transmashholding" is the largest manufacturer of rail transport in Russia. The industrial group produces locomotives, carriage wagons and long -distance trains, trams. 20% of the company belongs to the French Alstom Holdings, 80% belong to the companies of Russian businessmen Iskandar Makhmudov, Andrei Bokarev, Dmitry Komissarov and Kirill Lipa. At the same time, the regulatory shareholders are commissars and linden. Makhmudov is the founder and co-owner of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC), Bokarev is also a co-owner of the UMMC.