Iran is still considering buying up the bankrupt British car manufacturer MG Rover, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
”Negotiations are under way by the industry ministry to see if a deal is in our economic interests. Nothing is definite,” foreign ministry spokesperson Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.
Last week, Industry Minister Eshagh Jahangiri said Iran had requested the conditions of sale, even after Iran’s two state-owned car giants — Iran Khodro and Saipa — said they were not interested in the bankrupt firm.
Rover went into receivership on April 15 and administrators promptly announced the redundancy of 5 000 of the group’s 6 000-plus staff.
Iran’s half-a-century old Iran Khodro and Saipa are already the Middle East’s leading car manufacturers, and are fast heading to annual production levels of one million units, hoping to emerge as a top regional supplier with 2006 production levels of 1,5-million units. — Sapa-AFP