India unaware of Permit to China for sale of RD-33 Engines to 3rd parties
26 April, 2007 (FIDSNS)
As per an Kommersant, Romesh Chandra, press attache at the Indian Embassy in Moscow denied that, the Indian Embassy in Russia is not aware of Moscow’s official authorization to Beijing for sale of RD-93 engines of Klimov works’ design (made by Chernyshev works), to third countries.
Kommersant claims that Russia has officially sanctioned China to re-export RD-33 aircraft engines. It further claims that President Vladimir Putin personally supervised the deal and inked sanctioning documents, representatives of president’s administration specified. The deal was backed up by all parties concerned – Defense Ministry, Federal Industry Agency and Rosoboronexport, which is the state exporter of weapons.
China is trying to sell its newely developed but obselete technolgy fighter FC-1 to Pakistan,few states of South-East Asia and Africa. According to the Kremlin administration, the Russian-Chinese deal is not detrimental to the interests of New Delhi. “India now buys fourth-plus generation warplanes from Russia, while JF-17 fighters are already obsolete,” an administration source said.
But the permit does not mean that Russia and Pakistan will directly cooperate in the military-technical sphere and only applies to one contract.
Previously, experts believed India would be unhappy with the deal because Moscow and New Delhi have signed an intergovernmental agreement banning arms sales to Islamabad.