Kremlin aide hopes for restoration of cooperation ties between Russian, Ukrainian defense industries
PRETORIA. Sept 17 (Interfax) - Relations with the Ukrainian defense industry are developing according to the pessimistic scenario so far, but Russian arms manufacturers and exporters still hope for the restoration of cooperation ties, Russian presidential aide for military-technical cooperation Vladimir Kozhin has said.
"Most of our companies are set on domestic cooperation, though I hope for common sense, including in relation to the crisis in Ukraine, and for the resumption of the cooperation ties that we used to have," he said to reporters at the AAD-2014 arms show that opened in South Africa on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian defense industry "is a very powerful, closely integrated with us," he said. "We will get over the problem but it is hard to tell what is going to happen to them. Or to be more exact one can expect the most pessimistic scenario. Those plants will simply cease to exist," Kozhin said.
