MOSCOW, March 29 (Reuters) - Russia's largest state-run

carmaker Avtovaz has started assembling Lada cars

in Azerbaijan, intending to produce up to 1,500 vehicles in

2024, the company's CEO Maxim Sokolov said on Friday.

The first model of cars produced in Azerbaijan will be Lada

Granta, but later the model range will be supplemented by

production of Niva Legend, Niva Travel and Vesta, Sokolov said.

Over the next few years, Avtovaz intends to produce up to

4,000-5,000 cars a year in Azerbaijan, Sokolov said.