OREANDA-NEWS. Gazprom Neft and the Russian Highways Agency (Rosavtodor) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation at this year’s St Petersburg International Economic Forum. The document was signed by Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov and Head of the Russian Highways Agency Roman Starovoit.

Both parties have agreed to cooperation and coordinate activities and priorities in respect of project design, construction and the further development of multi-functional motorway services areas on federal highways. The document also outlines a series of future locations to be assessed and reviewed in terms of proposals for the construction and use of highway infrastructure facilities - the range of such potential projects covering the whole of Russia.

Gazprom Neft CEO and Chairman of the Management Board Alexander Dyukov commented: "In developing its own retail network, the company has accumulated considerable experience and skills in managing additional services at filling stations. In collaboration with Rosavtodor, we hope to significantly improve comfort levels on Russian roads. Building multifunctional filling stations and service facilities on federal highways is seen as a promising area for the future development of our retail business."

Roman Starovit, Head of the Russian Highways Agency, added: "Thanks to the development of roadside service facilities we anticipate an increase in tourism by car - leading to new job opportunities throughout the regions. Implementing this programme will allow us to resolve the problem of the uneven distribution of service facilities throughout the federal highways network, making it possible to eliminate lengthy stretches (of several hundred kilometres) without any services. Concurrently with this, all federal highways are to be brought under inclusive regulatory standards by 2018".