Baku, October 8, AZERTAC

Laishevsky municipal area of the Republic of Tatarstan (village Sokury) hosted a solemn ceremony devoted to the beginning of the implementation of investment projects on the construction of juice factory and a logistics center, on October 7. The building site is located in near the village of Sokur. Azerbaijani company Benkons Group is an investor of the project.

Delivering speech at the solemn ceremony, President Rustam Minnikhanov of Tatarstan stated that "such projects have not been realized in the republic".

"The factory is designed not only for Tatarstan's market but also the markets of neighboring regions. I'd like to thank the investor. Our colleagues from Azerbaijan made this decision, worked out it in details, and soon the project will be invested about 4 billion rubles. This enterprise will manufacture more than 50,000 tons of juices. The most important thing is that this market is also for our producers. They will be able to supply raw materials here. Part of the raw materials will be local and the rest will be imported. I think this is only the beginning. In the future we'll plan the expansion of this production," the Tatar president said.

Benkons Group's commerce director Elin Zalov called today's event the result of fruitful cooperation between the Company and the Investment Development Agency of Tatarstan (IDA).

He added that this project is of great economic benefit for Benkons Group but is very responsible.

Mr.E. Zalov expressed his gratitude to the President of Tatarstan and the leadership of the republic for creation of favorable conditions for investment there.

Replying questions of journalists, Elin Zalov noted that the Azerbaijani company plans to supply products from the Tatarstan-based factory not only to the market of Russia but also to China and some other Asian countries. The factory will partly use products of the Tatar agricultural producers as raw material for production of juices and juice containing drinks.

"I hope by the end of construction we'll be able to use the agricultural potential of the region," Zalov emphasized.

Over 250 direct jobs will be created in Tatarstan as a result of the localization of the brand. The juice factory and the logistics center will start operating in early 2017.

Benkons Group acquired in Tatarstan a land area of 75 hectares, 12 hectares of which are used for the project. In the future the company plans to expand production and implement new investment projects in Tatarstan. Benkons Group is one of the leading companies operating in different fields both in Azerbaijan and outside the country.

On 3 February 2015 at a meeting of the Collegiate Organ of the Investment

Development Agency of Tatarstan the project was presented to the President of Tatarstan, and the Azerbaijani company and the IDA signed a cooperation agreement.

Benkons Export is the main exporter of Gilan Holding's products (jams, pickles, compotes, jams, etc.) to Europe, Asia and America.