Iran resumes car exports to Russia

TEHRAN, June 30 (Xinhua): The Iranian carmaker Iran Khodro company has resumed sedan exports to Russia, which was halted in 2009, Tehran Times daily reported on Monday.

The company plans to export 10,000 cars to Russia by 2015, said the report, adding that Iran Khodro exported more than 12,000 cars to Russia from 2007 to 2009.

The resumption of car exports to Russia comes following an interim nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers reached last November that saw some international sanctions eased in return for Tehran limiting its nuclear programme.

Iran hopes to reach a final nuclear deal with the P5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) by the end of next month.

According to the report, Iranian carmakers are projected to produce 1.3 million cars in the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 21, 2014, and about US$2.0 billion will be needed to meet the target.

Iran produced 626,110 cars in 2013, which made the country the 20th largest car manufacturer in the world, according to the International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers.