In his speech at the ceremony Yuri Luzhkov, Mayor of Moscow, said that negotiations on this venture started in 1998. At that time, according to the Mayor, the situation was complicated by the financial crisis. "I want to emphasize Renault's courage - they continued working even after the default," Luzhkov said, adding that in the following years the situation changed for the better.
He said that by late 2006 Avtoframos is expected to produce 60,000 cars annually. By 2008, according to him, this figure can be doubled. "In the following years we are planning to produce at least 200,000 cars annually," Mr. Luzhkov said.
He added that the main task - to create a full-scale production asset in Moscow - had been accomplished. Mr. Luzhkov emphasized Renault's willingness to extend the number of Russian component suppliers for Logan cars produced in Moscow. "We will find everything we need in Moscow. There is no need to search far and wide," Luzhkov assured his French partners. According to Luzhkov, he would very much like to see Renault engines produced in the Russian capital.
"Car production in Moscow is a crucial stage of Renault's quest to conquer the world car market," - he said in his concluding remarks.
According to Louis Schweizer, President and Director General of the Renault Group, by 2010 the company plans to produce more than 4 million cars worldwide annually. Renault factories, he added, already operate in Rumania, Brazil, Morocco, Argentine, and new ones will soon be opened in Iran, India and China. "Our task is to maintain presence at every car market in the world," Mr. Schweizer said.
Renault CEO explained that Logan is a good car for those who just start driving. The company, he added, has invested $ 250 million in the construction of Avtoframos. He emphasized that the new car meets all European quality standards.
Schweizer declared his intention to increase the number of Russian component suppliers for Renault Logan. "We would like to do presswork together with ZIL - they have all necessary equipment," he explained.
