By Igor Serebryany
Russia's struggling car industry has been at the forefront of government thinking recently, with its future the subject of discussion by the country's leaders.
This week, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the city of Nizhni Novgorod, where one of the largest car plants is located, vowing to keep the industry afloat.
Analysts, though, warn Russia's ill-fortuned car industry cannot rely on government sponsorship indefinitely. To upgrade, or to die, that's the tough situation.
STAYING ALIVE
Experts say the car industry in Russia will go into a nose-dive the day after the government stops supporting it.
This is the why the Kremlin would not leave the battered national auto makers on their own in the foreseeable future, the editor-in-chief of Russia's oldest car magazine Za Rulem (Behind the Wheels), Igor Morgaretto, told Xinhua.
"The car industry has been a favorite child of Vladimir Putin, and so this sector enjoys favorable treatment compared to the other sectors of the Russian economy," Morgaretto said.
Putin openly demonstrated his support when he chose Avtovaz's Lada Kalina model for his widely televised journey throughout the Russian Far East last month. The bright yellow hatchback the PM drove for 2650 km has become a symbol of his trust in the industry's bright future and a hint the authorities would not abandon car makers in their miserable situation.
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