GORKI (Moscow Region), June 11 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian president on Thursday threw his support behind the idea of joint development and production of military products with other countries.
Dmitry Medvedev said such cooperation "is always necessary," adding that it "is an effective channel for advancing our products on foreign markets and strengthening our ties with these states."
He said such cooperation programs helped cut costs and intensify scientific and technical contacts with other countries.
The president stressed that joint development and production of military-purpose goods was "a new form of cooperation" and that it would be discussed at an upcoming summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Medvedev did not specify what products could be developed and produced under such programs.
Russia is already developing a fifth-generation fighter jet in cooperation with India, with the first prototype is scheduled to make its maiden flight before the end of 2009.
The advanced multirole fighter is being developed by the Sukhoi aircraft maker, part of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), along with India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), under a preliminary intergovernmental agreement signed in October 2007.
Alexander Fomin, first deputy director of the Federal Service for Military Cooperation, which regulates Russia's cooperation with other countries in the military and technical sphere, said in May that the Russian defense industry had effectively "reached its ceiling" and could not take on any more orders.
Fomin said contracts signed for some weapon systems, especially long-range air-defense systems, stretched years into the future.
Sergei Chemezov, head of the state-run Russian Technology Corporation, said in February that the orders would provide domestic defense industry firms with contracts to keep them going for the next four to five years.
Russia's defense industry currently employs 2.5-3 million workers, or 20% of manufacturing jobs.
