Baku, Azerbaijan, May 2
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
Iran plans to export at least 65,000 cars within the current Iranian calendar year (started March 20), a senior official said.
Iranian Deputy Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Mohsen Salehinia said that his ministry has a comprehensive plan for improving conditions for the carmakers in the country over the current year, ILNA news agency reported.
Iranian carmakers produced 1.1 million cars over the last year and there are plans to increase the figure to 1.3 in the current year, the deputy minister added.
He voiced the country's plans to produce three million cars per year over the next 10 years.
Speaking about recent deals on cooperation between Iranian and international carmakers, Salehinia expressed hope for boosting car industry in the country.
A deal on establishing a joint-venture between Iran Khodro (IKCO), an Iranian leading auto maker and French Peugeot was among the first post-sanctions contracts signed between an Iranian company and a foreign company during Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's January visit to France.
The contract envisages the export of 30 percent of its products and the production of three models of Peugeot in Iran through 50-50 venture.
Iran-Khodro has been manufacturing two models of Peugeot for several years, so that these two models have become prototypical cars in the minds of many Iranians.
IKCO produces about 600,000 cars a year.
