Donetsk, Oct 26 — DAN. Donetsk People’s Republic authorities are considering the possibility to transfer state-run collieries into private ownership, DPR Coal and Energy Minister Andrey Chertkov told the Donetsk News Agency on Wednesday.

“We already have offers from Russian businesses concerning six state-owned coalmines, and another two mines located in temporarily occupied areas of the DPR, ” Chertkov said in response to the question about coal industry privatization plans. “We also expect proposals on privatization or lease of at least two enterprises.”

Delegations of business people from Kemerovo and Moscow have visited the DPR in the past three months stating their interest in cooperation in several areas.

The DPR currently has 14 state-run coal mines, 60 private coalmines and 133 small coal-mining partnerships.*jk