25 Oct 2010 18:00

UAC, Antonov to sign deal to set up joint venture

MOSCOW. Oct 25 (Interfax-AVN) - An agreement to set up a joint venture is expected to be signed in Kyiv on October 27 by Russia's United Aircarft Construction Corporation (UAC) and Ukraine's state-run Antonov.

"The signing of the founding documents has been timed to coincide with a regular meeting of the Economic Cooperation Committee of the Russian-Ukrainian Interstate Commission to be held in Kyiv this week," a source told Interfax-AVN on Monday.

The agreement will be signed by UAC President Alexei Fyodorov and Antonov General Designer Dmitry Kyva.

Fyodorov earlier said that the joint venture was being set up to implement Antonov's specific projects, including the An-140, An-148, An-124 and, possibly, An-70 aircraft.

"The joint venture will coordinate the bulk of the work connected with Antonov projects, and do the marketing, organize sales and post-sale servicing, and maintain cooperation ties," he said.

The joint venture will also make proposals on integration between the Russian and Ukrainian aircraft industries.