RUSSIA, UZBEKISTAN SIGN AGREEMENT ON COMBAT HELICOPTERS JV

RIA Novosti
12:57|07/ 03/ 2007

TASHKENT, March 7 (RIA Novosti) – Russia and Uzbekistan have signed an
agreement to establish a joint venture to repair combat helicopters
in the Central Asian country, the head of Russia’s Federal Industry
Agency said Wednesday.

As part of the agreement Russian companies will have a minimum 51%
share in the joint venture which is planned to start later in the year.

Boris Alyoshin said the new enterprise will mainly work in the military
interests of Uzbekistan and some other countries. Its main aim is
to repair Mi-8 Hip and Mi-24 Hind helicopters, their modifications,
as well as components and assembly parts for them.

Russia and Uzbekistan are both members of a regional security
organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which
also comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Uzbekistan is one of Russia’s key partners among the members of the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a loose alliance of the
former Soviet republics. As a political dialogue between the two
countries has been actively developing with the Russian and Uzbek
presidents meeting nine times last year bilateral trade in 2006
increased by 30% to total $2.4 billion.

Representing the Russian side in the joint venture are Oboronprom
united industrial corporation and Rosoboronexport state arms export
monopoly; and Chkalov’s Tashkent Aircraft manufacturing enterprise
along with Uzmakhsusimpex state enterprise – from Uzbekistan.