RIGA, June 3 (LETA) - Turkish company Aslanli Metalurji has transferred money for Liepajas Metalurgs steel melting complex and is ready to launch operations in the territory of the former metallurgical company, as Aslanli Metalurji told LETA.

On April 30 this year, company FeLM, which represents Latvia's interests, signed an agreement on selling Liepajas Metalurgs steel melting complex to Liepaja Steel, a company that belongs to Aslanli Metalurji.

Aslanli Metalurji representatives said that the investor had honored all of its obligations under the agreement and purchased Liepajas Metalurgs equipment and real estate, and that FeLM was ready to hand the assets over to the Turkish company.

Liepaja Steel CEO Guntars Senkans said that, if the plant's production and maintenance equipment was in proper condition, the company could launch operations in six months.

"The investor has honored all obligations and is absolutely ready to take practical steps to launch operations. It is important to mention that the Latvian government has approved the sale of the plant to the Turkish investor, and expressed support for renewing the plant's operations. Now we are all waiting for the relevant decisions from the Liepaja Special Economic Zone, and we hope to launch operations already this year," said Senkans.

Liepaja Special Economic Zone's representative Liga Ratniece-Kadege told LETA that the special zone had not yet decided whether to use its pre-emptive right to buy Liepajas Metalurs steel melting complex. Liepaja Special Economic Zone has time until July 10 to decide whether to buy these assets.

"At the moment, we have very limited information about the Turkish investors' plans for this area. There has been just one meeting between Liepaja Special Zone Administration and the investor's representatives, during which rather general and minimal information about its plans was provided. Discussions continue still," said Ratniece-Kadege.

Liepaja Special Economic Zone very rarely uses its pre-emptive rights to purchase properties in territory of the zone, except for cases when a property is strategically important for the development and plans of the economic zone.