BRICS to support creation of engine construction consortium, including for aircraft industry, fuel and energy sector - Russian industry and trade minister

NIZHNY NOVGOROD. Aug 16 (Interfax) - The Russian Industry and Trade Ministry has suggested creating a consortium for engine construction, including the construction of aircraft and power engines, to its BRICS partners, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov said after a meeting between the BRICS countries' industry ministers.

"We do hope that our proposals that we have stated today on creating such a consortium in power engineering, in particular, engine construction, will be supported. In our view, there are quite a lot of countries now, including BRICS states, that engage in aircraft construction. Everyone is trying to engage in its own development, but engines are a unique competence. There is good scientific and industrial potential here in Russia, therefore we are ready to suggest creating such a consortium that will become a point for expanding industrial cooperation," he said.

Alikhanov earlier said while opening the meeting on Friday that the work may include joint production of gas turbine installations for the fuel and energy sector.

"The same concerns cooperation on engines for sea, railroad, aircraft and space equipment. The development of these technologies may become a driver for a whole number of related industries and the appearance of new competencies in our countries. We see very good prospects here, bearing in mind our experience and development, and also the large expanding market in the BRICS space," he said.

Alikhanov told reporters potential engine construction facilities may be deployed in Russia and in the partnership's other countries.

"In actual fact, joint production facilities can be on the territory of any country. In particular, we are interested in our country's international cooperation and export project, in the creation of industrial zones for our manufacturers from abroad, such as in Latin America, on the territory of Brazil, on the territory of the United Arab Emirates, on the African continent, in Asia. And we also regard it as a kind of instrument, on the one hand, for developing industrial cooperation, and on the other for promoting our brands and competencies on foreign markets," Alikhanov said.