Skoda Plans To Begin Car Plant Construction In Russia In 2002

The Czech company Skoda Auto plans to begin construction of a car plant in Russia in 2002, Nikolai Sorokin, head of the Department of the Automotive Industry Development and Restructuring of the Science and Industry Ministry of Russia, said at the 10th International Automotive Conference, organized by the ASM-Holding Company and the Science and Industry Ministry. According to him, the exact location of the construction site has not been decided on yet, but the plant is to be built in the Moscow region. At the same time, Sorokin did not rule out the possibility that the construction would take place in the Leningrad region. Executives of Skoda Auto will hold talks on this issue with the Moscow regional government today. The estimated capacity of the new plant is 20,000 cars a year. Skoda Auto is a subsidiary of the German automotive giant Volkswagen.