AwtoZAZ inches closer to a deal with FSO

This week will see the beginning of talks with Ukrainian car manufacturer AwtoZAZ. "We will send our partner a project of an agreement on Monday or Tuesday. We will also suggest the date of our first meeting. I'd like it to take place still this week," said Dariusz Witkowski, Deputy Treasury Minister responsible for selling FSO's shares. However, he was unwilling to reveal a detailed schedule of the talks, nor the date of the transaction. AwtoZAZ's offer, submitted back in mid-October, suggests that the Ukrainians might want to launch production of the new version of Lanos (T150) or even Chevrolets in the Żerań plant. The management of FSO should not be particularly picky about investors. Apart from AwtoZAZ, there are only two other companies interested in acquiring the car factory. A consortium of a Chinese company Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation with the British MG Rover has sent a letter of intention to buy the factory in October. (Puls Biznesu, p. 4) D.W.