MOSCOW - Chinese automaker Foton Motor on  Thursday donated two Euro V hybrid buses worth 440,000 U.S.  dollars to Moscow supporting the city's improvement of its urban  environment.    

"China is undertaking an experiment called '10 cities, 1,000  new energy buses' in which 1,000 new energy buses will replace  the older style buses in 10 of China's largest cities within  three years time," said Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov at the donating  ceremony.    

"Our sister city, Beijing, has achieved this goal two years  ahead of schedule. Moscow hopes to follow suit by introducing  companies like Foton Motor to the city in order to make our urban  traffic more environmentally friendly, improving the lives of our  citizens," said Luzhkov.    

"Almost 1,000 Foton Motor Euro V hybrid buses are in use for  public transportation in Beijing and have produced significant  pollution reduction results. The Beijing Municipal Government is  proud to be a partner in Moscow's efforts to shift towards  greener urban transportation systems," said Beijing Mayor Guo  Jinlong.    

Wang Jinyu, president of Foton Motor, who claimed green science and technological innovation on new energy as "the soul" of his  company, meanwhile voiced the hope that as China's largest new  energy vehicle designer, Foton Motor could "introduce its  technology and experience in new energy vehicles to Moscow as a  contribution to the Russian capital's goal of reducing urban  pollution."    

Foton Motor and the Moscow municipal government also announced  the establishment of Foton Motor's European Auto Department and  Foton Motor (Russia) Co., Ltd. at the ceremony, by signing a  memorandum of cooperation.    

Founded on August 28, 1996, the Beijing-headquartered Foton Motor is Asia's largest and the world's second largest commercial  vehicle manufacturer.