Uzbekistan violates contract on supply of planes to China - source.

23/11 Tass 133

MOSCOW, November 23 (Itar-Tass) - Violations of the contractual
obligations on the supply of Il-76 transport planes and Il-78 tankers to
China are caused by the non-fulfilment of the contract by the third party
- the Tashkent Aircraft Plant in Uzbekistan, a well-informed source in the
Russian defence complex told Itar-Tass on Monday.

On November 25, Moscow will host the 14th meeting of the
Russian-Chinese intergovernmental commission on military and technical
cooperation.
"The meeting will possibly focus on the fulfilment of the contract of
2005 on the supply of Il-76 transport planes and Il-78 tankers to China.
Along with this I would like to stress that as concerns Russian's
obligations the contract is being fulfilled and will undoubtedly be
fulfilled," the official said.
"But the Russian side cannot bear responsibility for practical
disruption of the contract by its third part - Uzbekistan's Chkalov
Tashkent Aircraft Plant," the official said.
Russia's contractual obligations include only the production and
supply of engines and propulsion systems for Il-76 and Il-78 planes, and
"these obligations are being fulfilled," the source said.
Under the contract the Tashkent Aircraft Production Plant should
produce airframes for these planes.
"May be, some addendum to the contract that will set the new dates for
the contract fulfilment will be signed to resolve the current situation,"
the source said.
"Probably, one of the possible solutions will be the transfer of the
order on the production of Il-76 and Il-78 planes from the Tashkent
aircraft building plant to the Ulyanovsk Aircraft Plant, when the latter
will gather pace," the official said.

-0-isk/gor