RUSSIAN FIRMS TO PARTICIPATE IN KAZAKH TENDER FOR UPGRADE OF AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROL

Interfax-AVN military news agency web site, Moscow
7 Jul 04

Nizhniy Tagil, Sverdlovsk Region, 7 July: Russian air traffic control
system designers and manufacturers will participate in a tender on
upgrading the Kazakh air traffic control system, Nikolay Bordyuzha,
secretary- general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO), told Interfax-Military News Agency at the Nizhniy Tagil arms
show on Wednesday (7 July).

“We have arranged for Russian manufacturers to display their air
traffic control systems and participate in the Kazakh tender,”
Bordyuzha said.

According to him, the Russian side has already made corresponding
proposals on upgrading the Kazakh air traffic control system, and is
continuing work with this end in view.

Bordyuzha said that many CSTO member-states enjoyed an economic boost,
singling Kazakhstan out as an example. “At the present time this
country is ready to participate in developing new weapon systems,” he
said.

According to Bordyuzha, Tajikistan, Armenia, and other CSTO
member-states are also experiencing economic growth. “CSTO
member-states will have enough real money in the near future, and
these assets will be used to procure Russian arms and materiel,” he
emphasized.

He also noted that cooperation had recently been revived within the
CSTO framework. “Many industrial enterprises embrace the approach of
establishing interstate holding companies. The Oboronitelnye Sistemy
Holding Company is being established at the moment. It will comprise
enterprises and companies from the following five CSTO member-states:
Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan,” he said.

Kazakh Defence Minister Mukhtar Altynbayev earlier told Interfax- AVN
that Kazakhstan would be studying proposals on modernizing the air
defence systems and air traffic controlling systems sometime before
2008 or 2010.

The Kazakh government has approved a plan to create an integrated
system for air traffic control for the period from 2004 to
2010. According to this plan, a tender will be held in the second
quarter of 2010 to determine who will carry out the project.

Experts say the value of the contract may amount to 1bn dollars.