Russian, Uruguayan Defence Ministers to hold talks

Today Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov will meet with Uruguayan National Defence Minister Yamandu Fau, currently on a routine visit to Moscow.

They are to discuss prospects for military and military-technological cooperation between the two countries, the Russian Defence Ministry told RIA Novosti.

In addition, the Uruguayan minister is to hold talks with Russian Deputy Defence Minister Mikhail Dmitriyev, the chairman of the committee of the Russian Federation for military-technological cooperation with foreign countries, as well as with heads of the state foreign trade company Rosoboronexport which plans to open its office in Montevideo in the near future. The Uruguayan minister will visit a number of Russian defence enterprises.

According to the data of the Russian military sources, military-technological cooperation between the two countries started to actively develop after the conclusion of the contract by the Rosoboronexport in April 2002 for deliveries of military equipment and duel-purpose equipment, including about 400 military and duel-purpose motor vehicles to a total value of some ten million dollars.

In October 2002 the inter-governmental agreement on military-technological cooperation between the two countries was signed.

In May 2002, Russian Deputy Defence Minister Mikhail Dmitriyev visited Uruguay. The Russian delegation discussed the expansion of deliveries of Russian motor vehicles to Uruguay and prospects of delivering aircraft, in particular, MiG-29 fighters.