Russia / Azerbaijan – The GAZ Group of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia has laid a foundation stone marking the start of construction of a new truck and bus assembly plant in the town of Hajikabul in Azerbaijan. It is six months on from a framework cooperation agreement signed in September 2018 between the GAZ Group and local vehicle assembler, Azermash company, which has its headquarters in the capital city of Baku.

In the first stage GAZ states the facility is to be developed to assemble the GAZelle NEXT and GAZon NEXT vehicles followed by the GAZelle BUSINESS and Sobol BUSINESS models in single and all-wheel-drive derivations. A second phase of development is designated for the production of medium and large buses as well as specialist vehicles derived from GAZ trucks, including those for municipal services, ambulances and school minibuses. Under the framework agreement, GAZ Group is to arrange for the delivery of assembly kits to the new plant as well as provide the requisite training and certification of the production personnel, provide necessary documents and licenses. Production is to be organized to meet all the technological standards of the GAZ Group.