MINSK, Belarus, April 11. Representatives of
Azerbaijani and Belarusian media visited the Minsk Automobile
Plant—one of Belarus’s largest machine-building enterprises,
specializing in the production of commercial and passenger
vehicles, Trend
reports.
The event was organized as part of the signing of an agreement
to assemble a new batch of municipal vehicles (100 units) based on
MAZ chassis at the Ganja Automobile Plant. This agreement was
signed as part of the implementation of instructions given by
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Belarusian President
Aleksandr Lukashenko during the Belarusian head of state’s official
visit to Azerbaijan. The document was signed by Khanlar Fatiyev,
Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Ganja Automobile Plant
(GAZ) Production Association and a member of the Azerbaijani
Parliament, and Valery Ivanovich, General Director of MAZ OJSC. The
cooperation between GAZ and MAZ is aimed at expanding and
strengthening the bilateral economic ties between Azerbaijan and
Belarus, as established by the heads of state.
Media representatives were briefed on the production process of
high-quality commercial and passenger vehicles, as well as the
history of the plant, which was founded in 1944.
MAZ is considered one of the symbols of Belarusian industry, a
key manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks in the region, and a major
exporter of vehicles. The company manufactures a wide range of
vehicles: trucks, tractor-trailers, dump trucks, truck cranes,
timber trucks, buses and minibuses, trolleybuses, special-purpose
vehicles, and trailers. The product range includes over 400 models,
variants, and configurations.
In an interview with Trend, Valery Ivankovich, General Director
of MAZ OJSC, emphasized the particular significance of the new
agreement, highlighting the technological partnership and the
expansion of production capabilities.
“The new agreement marks another stage in the consistent and
systematic development of cooperation between our plants. Over the
past ten years, we have been developing joint cooperation with the
production facilities that we are establishing and promoting
together in Azerbaijan. This is such an important technological
integration, an impetus provided by the visit of Belarusian
President Aleksandr Lukashenko to Azerbaijan. The new agreement
opens up even broader prospects and opportunities to increase
production volumes to a thousand units.
“Particular attention is being paid to the development of
municipal equipment production, which is directly linked to
addressing social issues and improving the quality of life for the
population. We are talking about equipment that is essential for
everyday life in cities and regions,” noted the CEO of MAZ.
Khanlar Fatiyev, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Ganja
Automobile Plant, emphasized in an interview with Trend that all of
the company’s achievements today are directly linked to the name of
President Ilham Aliyev.
According to him, in 2004, the enterprise—which had been in a
state of unfinished construction for many years—transformed into
one of the leading plants not only in the western region but also
in the entire country in the field of automotive and agricultural
machinery production.
A key stage of development, as Fatyiev emphasized, began after
the official visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Belarus in
2006. The friendly and fraternal relations between the heads of
state laid the foundation for taking bilateral cooperation to a
qualitatively new level.
“We are proud to be at the center of the development of
Azerbaijani-Belarusian economic ties,” he noted.
Following that visit, assembly lines were established at the
plant, modern technical equipment was introduced, and employees
underwent specialized training courses. To date, the plant has
produced more than 15,000 tractors of various models and over 4,000
MAZ vehicles.
Fatiyev also stressed that economic cooperation projects with
Belarus are constantly a priority for the head of state.
As part of this cooperation, a contract has already been signed
with MAZ to supply components for the assembly of 100 vehicles for
household waste collection. At the same time, about 90% of the
bodywork for the vehicles is manufactured locally—in Ganja—by local
specialists.
Speaking about other areas of cooperation with Belarusian
enterprises, Fatiyev noted the development of bus and electric bus
production. To date, six city buses and four experimental E-321
electric buses have been manufactured as part of the
partnership.
The buses comply with the Euro 5 environmental standard, are
fuel-efficient, and are suitable for operation in Baku, Ganja,
Sumgait, and other cities. They are designed to carry up to 83
passengers and are equipped with 26 seats, air conditioning,
information monitors, and a video surveillance system.
Electric buses, in turn, are environmentally friendly and
economical. They can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h, and their
batteries can be fully charged in just 6 minutes at an RGZP/G/300KW
600V-EN charging station in urban conditions.
In conclusion, Fatiyev stressed that cooperation with Belarusian
enterprises will continue and expand. According to him, Belarusian
equipment is highly reliable and durable, and the products of the
Ganja Automobile Plant have already won the trust of consumers.
“With orders for buses and electric buses, our production base
and the professionalism of our specialists allow us to implement
large-scale projects in this area as well,” he added.
