KAMAZ Continues Delivering Trucks to Iraq

Russia's automobile plant, KamAZ, continues delivering trucks to Iraq.

"We have no worries about these deliveries," the enterprise Director General, Sergei Kogogin, told a RIA Novosti correspondent in Kazan.

The UN Security Council' s resolution passed in December 2002 made limitations on truck deliveries to Iraq. However, during the development of the draft resolution Russia managed to significantly soften the earlier established criteria for cargo automobiles. The trucks' carrying capacity parameters were increased from 15 to 20 tons, with engine capacity being increased from 300 to 370 horsepowers.

The last UN resolution defends the interests of Russian enterprises, including KamAZ, according to Kogogin.

"A new lot of trucks via the Turkish port, Samsun, has already been sent to Baghdad. We are not going to suspend the deliveries, they can be suspended by military actions alone, if they start at all. In compliance with the contract approved by the UN we are to deliver quite a lot of trucks in 2003," Kogogin stated.

As soon as the Iraqi side begins financing, KamAZ will start fulfilling the contract.

The enterprise's business plan for 2003 envisages production of 24,000 lorries, including 4,500 units for export.

© &to=http://www.rian.ru' target=_blank>RIAN