TEHRAN State-owned Iranian Tobacco Company announced that based on agreements reached with some foreign companies, Iran will start producing different foreign brands of cigarettes as of next year.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, the Managing Director of Iranian Tobacco Company Abbas Khajeh-Piri said that some foreign brands of cigarettes will be produced in Iran through utilization of domestic production capabilities.

He said the decision was aimed at discouraging the smuggling of cigarettes into the country.

Khajeh-Piri added that a cigarette producing factory would be established in Qeshm Free Trade Zone in cooperation with a British company. The products of the factory will also be exported to other countries.