It is planned to open an aircraft assembly plant in Baku, says Russia's deputy PM

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BAKU, August 8. /TASS/. Both Azerbaijan and Iran are interested in Russia as the biggest exporter of high-quality weapons, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Monday after talks between the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran. Rogozin noted that the countries of the region are getting consolidated in the face of common threats, with close location of hotbeds of local conflicts and spreading extremist influence among them. "These are common threats. And common threats should be repelled not only through solidarity, through such meetings and discussion of ways of rebuffing challenges by political means, but also through physical strengthening. And in this context, both Azerbaijan and Iran are interested in Russia as the biggest exported of high-quality and affordable weapons," he said. He said the issues of military technical cooperation at the trilateral talks stemmed for the general discussion of security problems in the regions. "Discussion of military technical cooperation topics was a logical consequence of the subject of security," he added.

Helicopter center, plane-assembly plant to be opened in Baku Rogozin went on to say that a helicopter center and an aircraft-assembly plant will be opened in Baku. "A helicopter center will be established in Baku. There are many planes and helicopter of the Soviet and Russia make in Azerbaijan. So, they will be modernized and serviced in Azerbaijan," he said. Apart from that, he said it is planned to "open an aircraft assembly plant in Baku." It will make it possible for Azerbaijan to join the narrow circle of countries which have aircraft-building industries. Azerbaijan is interested in buying Russian MC-21 planes According to Rogozin, Azerbaijan is interested in buying Russian MC-21 planes and Russia hopes to sign a contract for ten such aircraft by February 2017.