Last Wednesday, the Volkswagen plant in Kaluga, Russia was opened. Thanks to the joint efforts of both the Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft and the Russian Federation. Prof. Martin Winterkorn represented the Russian division of Volkswagen and the Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Naryshkin was the negotiator for the Russian fed. The two personalities were joined together to share the obligation for the “Group Production” handed to them by Reinhard Jung, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of SkodaAuto and Prof. Jochem Heizman, a Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft.

"With the start of vehicle assembly at our new plant in Kaluga, the Volkswagen Group has definitively arrived in the emerging Russian market. Local production of Volkswagen and Skoda brand vehicles in the up-and-coming city of Kaluga now gives us the chance to increasingly profit from rapid growth on Russia’s automotive market," Winterkorn commented in Kaluga. The foundation stone at the site located south west of Moscow was laid on October 28, 2006 – exactly thirteen months prior to today’s assembly start-up.

In Russia, the first Volkswagen models to be assembled are the Volkswagen Passats and the Skoda Octavias. However, the new Volkswagen facility is set to produce 66,000 cars carrying the two brands next year. As 2009 approaches, the plant will increase its target production to 150,000.

Reinhard Jung, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SkodaAuto, underlined the significance of the new plant in the "Grabzevo" techno-park: "For Volkswagen and Skoda, Russia is a strategic emerging market. The fact that Skoda has begun to produce the Octavia here is an important signal for the further development of our brand. We already manufacture at three plants in the Czech Republic, as well as in India, Ukraine, Bosnia, Kazakhstan and now Russia. Kaluga is thus our fifth foreign location. Skoda Auto is on the road worldwide."

Prof. Heizmann expressly thanked the Governor of Kaluga oblast, Anatoly Artamonov, and all involved in setting up operations in Russia: "I am delighted that we can start assembling vehicles in Russia today – exactly thirteen months since we laid the foundation stone. I would like to express my appreciation to all our Russian partners and, of course, to our staff who have produced an outstanding performance here in Kaluga. The first plant fitters will begin work in Kaluga during the next few months, and we will then start full production during the first half of 2009."