Russian Car Giants Form National Union of Car Manufacturer

A national union of car manufacturers was formed on Tuesday, January 28, at a meeting of the economic council of the directors of car manufacturing enterprises in the Privolzhsk Federal District. As a Rosbalt correspondent was informed by the press office of the presidential plenipotentiary to the region, the constituent documents were signed by the directors of Severstal-Avto, AvtoVAZ, KAMAZ and RusPromAvto.

The press office said that the purpose of the national union was to coordinate the enterprises' activity to ensure better competition and to attract foreign investment in the Russian car industry. One of the main goals of the union will be to represent Russia's interests in the OICA, the international organisation of car manufacturers, and promote the sale of Russian cars on foreign markets.

According to Presidential Plenipotentiary to the Privolzhsk Federal District Sergei Kirienko, 'it has been clear for a long time that our car giants ought not only to be competing with one another but also with their rivals on the world market.' Severstal-Avto Director Vadim Shvetsov said that the union of Russian car manufacturers had been created on the same basis as all the other car associations which exist in 40 other countries and come together to form the OICA. 'We hope that foreign car manufacturers which have begun manufacturing cars in Russia will also join the union,' he added.

The economic council of the directors of car manufacturing companies in the Privolzhsk Federal District met under the patronage of Mr Kirienko, who has now been offered the chance to become an honorary member of the Russian Union of Car Manufacturers.