OREANDA-NEWS. German automaker Mercedes-Benz does not abandon plans to produce cars in Russia and it continues to search for a partner, who has an agreement of "industrial assembly". The head of Mercedes-Benz in Russia, Yang Madey, said in an interview with "Gazeta.ru", noting that the company did not change its plans, and it does not even stop to work on the project.

According to him, the company is currently considering for about 10-15 sites for the production of cars in Russia. "We are looking at different places - Moscow, Kaluga, St. Petersburg and other regions with good logistics. We are in talks with several partners, including GAZ and KAMAZ. We are also considering Kaliningrad, where the "Avtotor", but so far we have not visited sites there yet. We did not stop the project, but we have not yet made a decision about where, when and with whom to implement it. We need a set of conditions, including market and financial. So, before we proceeded from the assumption that the interest rate on loans is at the level of 10-15%, now it is 30%. It completely changes the rules of the game. And the situation of the last two months have not made the situation easier," - said Yang Madey.

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz has rejected several versions of sites for the production of cars in Russia. The company was not satisfied with the proposed by Ministry of Industry Biryulyovo in Moscow, Zelenograd and Tatarstan, despite their developed logistics, said the Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov. For ZIL the leader of the German premium triple by Russian sales failed to obtain the consent of the authorities.

Recall that, according to the last year entered into force decision of the Government of the Russian Federation to limit the procurement of foreign cars, Mercedes-Benz has lost the right to participate in tenders. In accordance with the agreement on industrial assembly between automakers and Ministry of Economic Development, the working companies in Russia undertake obligation to reach a certain level of localization by 2018. Mercedes-Benz, who is known as one of the initiators of this agreement has not organized in Russia its own production of passenger cars, wrote "Gazeta.Ru".

Senior Manager of practices in providing of services to companies of automotive industry PwC, Sergey Litvinenko, believes that the current investment in the localization of production in Russia are attractive only for those automakers that are already well represented here and have a strong market share. "On the one hand, this year the market will decline so much that it will require a reduction in production - that any player is alarming, - says Mr.Litvinenko. – “On the other hand, those who have already earned a reputation and found the customer, are less exposed to this risk, and for such companies this localization of production is still interesting. In light of the depreciation of ruble the companies with the possibility of local production are in a better position to those who work with imports. The solution of any European and American companies on the localization of its production now will depend more on the political situation. In the case of some successful companies the localization question suggests itself. The prospects of the Russian car market exist and demand for cars cannot be delayed for a long time."