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RUSSIA-UKRAINE AN-70 PLANE TRIALS POSSIBLE BY YEAR END

RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, April 26 (RIA Novosti) - Full-scale trials of the Russian-Ukrainian plane An-70 are possible by the end of this year, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said following talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Anatoli Gritsenko.

"We hope that by late 2005 we'll go for full-scale flying tests of the plane," Sergei Ivanov said.

"The issue concerning the sharing of intellectual property will be resolved throughout 2005," he said having added that it will be a 50/50 division.

According to the Ukrainian defense minister, agreement has also been reached on operation of the missile attack-warning system based in Ukraine, exchange of experience in passing to the contract army service, a status for the Russian Black Sea fleet based in the Crimea.

"Ukraine will abide by its obligations and the Black Sea fleet will be there until 2017. I'd like to rule out whatever speculations to this effect," Gritsenko said.

"Yes, there are some problems, which complicate our cooperation. However, they are not our fault," Gritsenko noted having added that Russia and Ukraine will seek a way of their solution.