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The President spoke briefly with veteran workers who took part in assembling the first truck at the plant.

The President witnessed the signing of an agreement by Director General of OJSC KAMAZ Sergei Kogogin and Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin on strategic partnership between Rosneft and KAMAZ, and Rosneft placed an order for delivery of 1,000 pieces of equipment produced by KAMAZ.

KAMAZ Group is the leader in Russia’s truck manufacturing sector and one of the world’s top heavy truck producers. The group has 12 large vehicle production facilities and auxiliary subdivisions. KAMAZ’s product range includes more than 40 models of trucks, trailers, tractors, buses, engines, power equipment and various tools.

Later, Mr Putin visited workshops at the Remdiesel plant, which repairs wheeled and tracked vehicles, and the Special Vehicles Plant, which produces Typhoon armoured vehicles.

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Speech at event celebrating the 40^th anniversary since the launch of the first KAMAZ truck

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends, This is an important date and an excellent occasion that you are marking today: forty years since the first KAMAZ vehicle was produced.

Much time has passed since then, and much has been accomplished, but we will certainly remember those who took the first steps in building this wonderful plant and producing the first vehicles here. I therefore want to start by saying thank you to the plant’s veterans – thank you very much.

Hundreds of thousands of people worked on this construction project. Back then, it was proclaimed a nationwide communist youth construction project, and this turned out to be a good step that brought many young people here to build not only this plant, but also this city. They built a wonderful, multi-ethnic city that has grown and developed together with the plant and offers good conditions for life, a marvellous environment and good atmosphere for families to thrive and raise children. Of course, the plant is the city’s heart, and, I think, is the heart too for many people living here.

Much has happened over these years. KAMAZ has become one of the top companies in this sector in the world. It is in 11^th place, which is an excellent result. In Russia, KAMAZ trucks account for more than 50 percent of all truck transport on our market. This is a very good result too, the best in our country.

What is especially important is that KAMAZ does not rest on its laurels, but continues to grow, improving both the quantity and quality of its products. It makes use of new technology and develops cooperation ties. KAMAZ is very ambitious and aggressive in the positive sense.

Of course, the whole country knows our marvellous KAMAZ –Master Team that takes part in the most prestigious international rallies and wins them too, not every time, but it has been among the winners for many years in a row now.

This testifies to the quality of the vehicles and the skill of those who make them, and, of course, to the skill of our sportspeople. Thanks to them, KAMAZ has become well known around the world and is finding new markets in all corners of the planet.

I will not even list all of the countries where vehicles are being made under the KAMAZ brand. In some countries, such as India, there is a high degree of localisation, up to 60 percent, and in other countries, the degree of localisation is lower. This gives opportunities for working with the enterprises abroad, producing the parts and components they need, and developing together with our partners. A huge amount of work has been accomplished.

Let me say that we have always supported your company and despite the economic difficulties you are aware of, we will continue to support KAMAZ, this company of such importance for us. We will do everything we can to provide jobs here and make sure our country can transport goods and freight using these excellent vehicles that you produce.

Happy holiday! Thank you very much! Congratulations!