Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the opening of the Toyota plant in St.Petersburg as an example of successful cooperation between the government, regional authorities and the Japanese company, Itar-Tass reports.
"I wish to congratulate everybody once again on today's event - the beginning of the plant's operation and the production of the first car. We were here in an open field two years ago, to lay a stone into the foundation of the future enterprise. Frankly, one could hardly believe that the company would be built and begin to work in just two years," Putin said at a meeting with the Toyota leadership, which opened an assembly line in Russia's second largest city on Friday.
The president noted that investments totaled more than five billion roubles, and that more than 600 new jobs had been created.
"It's just the first stage. After the launching of the next line and other shops, there'll be more jobs, which implies additional budget revenue and more employment," the president said.
"It's a good example of cooperation between the Russian government, regional authorities and one of the largest car makers. It's a very important project not only for Petersburg, Russia's northwest, but also for the whole Russia, because it's the first serious step toward arranging in Petersburg the car production of full technological cycle," the head of the Russian state said.
"Doubtlessly, the level of relations which developed between the federal government, regional authorities and your company will be preserved," he assured the Toyota officials.
"We'll do everything for your feeling solid and comfortable so that new stimuli to expand production appear," the president said.
The leadership of the Toyota company is hoping that the Petersburg plant will be among leaders, Toyota Motors Corporation president Katsuaki Watanabe said at the Friday ceremony devoted to the assembly of the first Toyota Camry.
He believes this can be achieved due to talents of Russian personnel and the Toyota-developed technologies.
Watanabe noted that the potential to develop the company's activity in Russia is tremendous. Toyota wishes to participate in the development of car-making and the production of parts, and "contribute to the development of the Russian economy, creating new jobs."
Watanabe expressed the hope for Petersburg's active development of the production of car parts. So far, ToyotaPetersburg plant. plans to use the Trans-Siberian railway to supply parts to the
Taking part in the ceremony were Minister of Economic Development and Trade Elvira Nabiullina, Petersburg governor Valentina Matviyenko, chairman of Sberbank board German Gref and president of the Toyota Motors Corporation Katsuaki Watanabe.
The factory in Shushary, a Petersburg suburb, will put out 20,000 Camry sedans at the initial stage. However, the enterprise capacity will be brought to 50,000 cars in a short period of time. The Japanese giant hopes to boost annual production to 200,000 cars at its Petersburg factory in a long-term perspective.
Watanabe said that the company virtually edged up to implementing its strategic goal of 10.4 million cars by 2009 at its enterprises all over the world thanks to the start of the assembly factory in Russia and other countries.
Construction of the factory started in June 2005, and all construction work passed under the schedule. The Toyota grounds in Shushary is also planned to be used for building a plant for making car seats, forging production and a testing ground of full cycle. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matvienko emphasized that “the Toyota factory is not a screwdriver assembly line but full-fledged production”. Total investments into the factory construction amounted to four billion roubles.
According to Hiroshi Okuda who headed the corporation board at the stone-laying ceremony in Shushary in 2005 and now performs functions of the president’s chief adviser, it is very important for Toyota “to ensure successful implementation of this project”. “Many companies, engaged in the car industry, and other Japanese firms,” he continued, “will closely follow the development of our business in Russia and will rely on our success in decision-making.”
The arrival of Toyota whose suit was followed by Nissan Motors, Suzuki Motors and Mitsubishi Motors, will give an impetus to the development of the Russian car industry. “From this point of view, our mission is to raise the culture level of car production in Russia,” Okuda claimed.