Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Russian carmaker AvtoVAZ has expressed to Algeria its willingness to set up a Lada brand vehicle assembly plant, reports on Wednesday. Sputnik agency.
“This is a Russian proposal, it is the companies that are leading the negotiations,” said the Russian minister.
Owned by the Renault-Nissan group, AvtoVAZ is the supplier of the Renault Symbol (or Dacia Logan in Europe) assembled in Algeria. The first batch of welded and painted bodies manufactured by AvtoVAZ for the Symbol assembled in Oran was delivered in December 2016, said the same source.
Sputnik also recalls that the vice-president of the Renault group, Nicolas Maure, said in August 2018 that the French company was considering expanding its capacity in Algeria and could start deliveries of Renault and Lada assembly parts.
The head of the group, however, did not announce precise deadlines, however, highlighting the importance of the Algerian market for Renault and good relations with the authorities of the country.
The Russian energy minister also said that his country and Algeria are studying the possibilities of launching joint projects in public health, especially in telemedicine, to collaborate in computer security and could agree on deliveries of Russian wheat to Algeria.
“We see great potential for increasing our trade in agriculture. We can intensify deliveries of agricultural products and especially cereals from Russia to Algeria, “said Alexander Novak during a joint press conference with Finance Minister Abderrahmane Raouya.
“We intend to promote our relations […] in public health and telemedicine […]. One of the new areas of our cooperation is cyber security. We have agreed to set up a working group within the intergovernmental commission, “added the minister. The two countries also discussed the possibility of launching a building materials factory in Algeria and increasing Russian tube deliveries, Novak said.
TSA
30/01/2019
[Automated translation]