Peugeot Pars Assembly Line to Be Inaugurated in Egypt
News number: 860909031017:36 | 2007-11-30
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8609090310

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Industries and Mines Minister Ali Akbar
Mehrabian left Tehran Friday morning for Egypt to attend an inauguration
ceremony marking the official launch of operation of the assembly line of
Iranian Peugeot Pars passenger car in the African country.

Speaking to reporters prior to his departure from Tehran's Imam Khomeini
Airport, Mehrabian said that during his visit which would take place at the
invitation of his Egyptian counterpart, the two sides were scheduled to
attend talks to help promote Iran-Egypt industrial ties and cooperation.

He also stressed that he was not conveying any political message from the
Iranian government.

Mehrabian, who is accompanied by managing director of Iran's first
auto-maker 'Iran-Khodro' - producer of Peugeot Pars - and head of the
Iranian Industries Development and Renovation Organization, further noted
Iran and Egypt's ancient civilizations, and attached much significance to
the establishment of industrial relations between the two Muslim nations.

He said that during the trip, he and his accompanying delegation would
attend meetings with a number of Egyptian officials and ministers, adding
that he would also attend talks with Egypt's private sector industrialists
and businessmen in a bid to further expand Tehran-Cairo industrial and trade
ties.

The minister expressed the hope that the visit would serve as a milestone in
the development of industrial and trade relations between the two Muslim
countries.

Iran-Khodro is a leading auto-manufacturer in Iran, exporting its products
to a large number of world countries. In its latest marketing move, the
company has just started exports of the latest model of its
home-manufactured passenger car 'Samand' to 32 different countries.

These 32 countries are among established customers of Iran-Khodro, which had
already imported Samand LX and GLX. According to Iran-Khodro managing
director, the company has planned to manufacture 8,000 Samand Suren in the
next few months, 1,200 of which would be exported to the aforementioned
countries.

Manteqi had also said that Iran-Khodro has plans to export 600,000 cars and
USD10 bln worth of products by 2016.

"To achieve this goal, we have decided to double our exports," he added
during an interview with FNA earlier this fall.

Manteqi said that Iran-Khodro's exports amounted to USD150 mln and USD315
mln in 2005 and 2006, respectively, adding that his company would export
USD600 mln worth of products in the current Iranian year (ending on March
20th, 2008).

'Samand' trade name is now registered at the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO).

Iran-Khodro group, the Iranian car manufacturer and owner of Peugeot Pars,
Samand and a number of other passenger cars, is the first Iranian company
whose product is registered at the WIPO.

The state will ensure against the fraudulent use of the name, industrial
design, and copying of the product manufactured by the company worldwide.

Azerbaijan, Belarus, Syria, Vietnam, Venezuela and China are among the many
world countries which either have asked for or are already assembling
Iran-Khodro's popular Middle-Class automobiles.

Meanwhile, many other world countries, including Turkey, Bangladesh and
Pakistan are considered as established importers of petrol and gas-powered
Samand models with left and right-hand steering-wheels.

Marketing researches have shown that given the financial capability of the
African and South Asian markets and the competitive advantages that Iran
enjoys, Iran-Khodro can gain a foothold in these markets in a relatively
short period of time.

The company has other automobile production ventures with foreign countries
and companies in a bid to market share for increased exports to regional
markets.

Many countries in east Europe have invited Iranian auto-makers to their
markets. Croatian Ambassador to Tehran said earlier this year that the
people of East Europe are waiting for the Iranian-made passenger cars.

She also said that after the launch of operation of Samand assembly line in
Azerbaijan and Belarus, the manufacturing company, Iran-Khodro, now has
better chances for gaining access to the CIS and East European markets.

According to the diplomat, Iran-Khodro officials have announced that they
would soon start exports of Samand to Poland, while the company is now
studying other East European markets, including Romania and the republics of
former Yugoslavia.