OREANDA-NEWS. On June 23, 2009 Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko and Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of India to Ukraine Debabrata Saha have made an exchange with contracts concerning modernization of AN-32 planes for the military aviation of India.

During the festive ceremony of exchange with contracts Yulia Tymoshenko announced that the contract on upgrade and overhaul of the planes amounting UAH 3.5 proves a great support for aviation domain and for Ukraine in whole under conditions of the global financial crisis.

According to the Premier, this event is the evidence that Ukrainian aircrafts are reliable, that’s why other world countries are wishing to see them both in the system of economy and in their arsenal. “This contract enables to give second life to 118 AN-32 planes of Ukrainian production, having served faithfully to India for 25 years,” Yulia Tymoshenko emphasized.

Yulia Tymoshenko accentuated modernization and reconstruction of planes will be performed by nine planes, notably the Antonov Aeronautical Scientific-Technical Complex, which under the contract is determined as main contractor.

Thereupon, the Prime Minister informed that new models of An-series planes are extremely reliable and can be used in all areas of life: “I would like to encourage India to be partners in purchase of aircrafts of new series also”.

Besides, the Premier imparted Ukraine and India are engaged into the project of realization of a huge order of An-74 aircrafts which are to be applied in the system of military-technical cooperation. “Our bail-out program is acting in the direction of revival of the aviation domain of Ukraine,” Yulia Tymoshenko stressed.

In his turn, the Ambassador of India to Ukraine Debabrata Saha called fascinating the fact that Ukrainian specialists would be able to modernize and reconstruct the planes having worked for 25 years. “Ukraine is noted for being the country of sophisticated specialists,” the Ambassador emphasized.

He also expressed assurance that Ukraine and India would cooperate not only in the area of modernization of aircrafts but in many others. “There exist huge opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in economic, military-technical, space fields,” Debabrata Saha urged.