RIGA, August 1 (RIA Novosti) - The Latvian automotive industry has established partnership with the giant Moscow-based Likhachev Autoworks, or ZIL, to put out trucks and buses. The foundation stone of a joint venture was laid in yesterday's gala in Jelgava, 50 kilometers off Riga, reports Radio Latvia.
The ceremony gathered Juris Lujans, Latvia's Economy Minister; Konstantin Laptev, ZIL Director General; Igor Studennikov, Russian Ambassador to Latvia; Andris Ravins, Jelgava town council president; and Moscow municipal spokesmen.
The project is roughly estimated at 15 million euros. The contract envisages it commissioned in 18 months-in 2006. The Jelgava works will assemble trucks based on the ZIL 4362SO, with British-manufactured engines and transmissions imported from Germany. Certain parts will come from Latvian manufacturers.
The venture is expected to put out an annual thousand trucks up to EU standards, at 19-20 thousand euros apiece.
Later on, the Jelgava autoworks will also manufacture urban buses.
