Financial Tribune - Grégoire Blaise, CEO of Renault Trucks Middle East and North Africa, says following an agreement between Arya Diesel Motors and Renault Trucks in December a training center will be opened to improve the skills and efficiency of boost mechanics.

The subsidiary of Volvo, which was bought from Renault in 2001, currently operates in several markets across Asia, including China, Pakistan, as well as African countries such as Ethiopia and Egypt.

In an interview with the Iranian automotive website Asre Khodro on May 1, Blaise said that Renault Trucks has reopened an office in Tehran and is looking to open mechanic training centers to help acquaint technicians and mechanics with  the latest technologies.

He said the first center would open by the end of this year.

Blaise said that Iran's commercial vehicle market is "very unique" especially in terms of size, history and current needs. However, he concurred that the market also is complex.

Answering questions about his company's immediate plans, Blaise said it had to "start again" in Iran after sanctions throttled earlier cooperation up until  2012. Renault "Trucks wants a 20% market share."

If in the first few years the company is able to capture "15% of the market share with partner Arya Diesel, it will have met its overall sales target."

Asked whether Renault Trucks intends to expand its presence in Iran he said,  "the focus is on this country" though they would seek to export vehicles to  regional markets in the future.

Renault Trucks and Arya Diesel signed two agreements in Lyon in Decembe --  an import agreement covering vehicles from the T, C and K ranges and an industrial collaboration agreement for the assembly of T range vehicles.

Blaise further said that despite the fact that other foreign truck makers are  coming back to Iran, his firm will concentrate on the T, C and K. "For now that would be enough for us to deal with," the Persian-language website quoted him as saying.

The deal signed with Renault Trucks marks the  reentry of this company e firm after several year hiatus due to the international sanctions.

Bruno Blin, president of Renault Trucks and Hirbod Jenabzadeh, board member of Arya Diesel Motors signed the agreements.

The manufacturing site of Arya Diesel Motors, located 90 km southwest of Tehran, will start the new venture by assembling Renault trucks T, with industrial operations set to commence in Q3 of 2017. The factor that was built in 2009, previously assembled Renault Premium and Kerax trucks.

Across Continents

Building on the legacy of more than a century of French truck manufacturing experience and know-how, Renault Trucks supplies a wide range of services and vehicles (from 2.8 to 120 T).

Renault Trucks is distributing and servicing its trucks via a dealership network comprising 1,500 plus service outlets across continents. The design and assembly of its trucks and the production of most parts is carried out in France.

In 2015 Volvo -- Renault Trucks parent company -- sales amounted to about SEK 313 billion (€33.4 billion). It is a publicly-held company headquartered in G?teborg, Sweden. Volvo shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

Arya Diesel Motors was established in 2006 to represent Renault Trucks in Iran. It started by distributing CKD vehicles before investing in manufacturing south of Teheran.