Peugeot CEO: Auto Industry Untouched by Western Sanctions on Iran
News number: 881013140516:33 | 2010-01-03Economy
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8810131405

TEHRAN (FNA)- Chief executive of France's giant carmaker, Peugeot, said that
the sanctions imposed by the West on the Islamic Republic have had no
negative impact on the relations of the western auto industry with Iran.

"Challenges brought up in media are not related to the auto industry,"
Peugeot CEO and Manager of Peugeot and Citroen Brands Jean-Marc Gales said
in response to a question about his company's solution to challenges imposed
on Iran's largest car-manufacturing company, Iran-Khodro (IKCO), as a result
of international sanctions.

Washington and its Western allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear
weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, while they have never
presented any corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations. Iran
denies the charges and insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful
purposes only.

Despite the rules enshrined in the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) entitling
every member state, including Iran, to the right of uranium enrichment,
Tehran is now under three rounds of UN Security Council sanctions for
turning down West's illegitimate calls to give up its right of uranium
enrichment.

Elsewhere, Peugeot CEO elaborated on the company's plans for studying the
existing potentialities of IKCO's foreign sites such as those in Senegal and
Venezuela for manufacturing of Peugeot products, and said, "Peugeot and IKCO
are partners. The two parties' vision is not limited merely to Iran and we
closely consider exporting activities."

"In this regard, we are ready to help IKCO to expand SENIRAN and VENIRAUTO
products portfolio as well as sales volume, like what happened in Egypt and
for Pars TU5JP, in order to make the company's investment in Senegal and
Venezuela profitable," Gales added.

The Iran Khodro Company built the first phase of its factory in Senegal last
year to export its cars to a number of West African countries.

Earlier in November, Head of a delegation from the Venezuelan ministry of
industry and a board member of Venezuela-Iran joint auto-manufacturing
company, Venirauto, said that the production of the national Iranian
automobile, Samand, has witnessed a growth in the Latin state.

Commenting upon Peugeot's short and long-term strategy for cooperation with
the IKCO, the Peugeot CEO noted, "Peugeot's strategy is based on dynamism,
profitability and growth of market share, specially outside Western Europe.
In this regard, Peugeot and IKCO 20-year prosperous cooperation plays a
significant role."

Meantime, Gales underlined IKCO's diesel national engine importance for the
French company, and added, "Peugeot is the world's leading company in diesel
technology, we are ready to assist IKCO in this field if requested."