The state-owned Ukroboronprom and Czech military equipment manufacturer VOP CZ have agreed to manufacture, repair and jointly develop armoured vehicles, reports the Ukroboronprom website.
Bilateral agreements with a specific plan for their implementation were signed on 6 February. The official delegation of the Czech Republic included the leadership of the Intergovernmental Agency for Defence Cooperation (AMOS) under the Ministry of Defence and Deputy Foreign Minister Jaroslav Kurfurst.
The agreements with VOP CZ are part of the agreement on the creation of a joint defence cluster with the Czech Republic, which Ukroboronprom and AMOS signed at the end of last year. In general, the cooperation envisages the production of military equipment, an increase in the production of ammunition of various calibres (both at existing facilities and at newly created ones in safe locations), development of service hubs for maintenance and repair of weapons and military equipment, as well as cooperation in the field of high technology, in particular, creation of joint research centres.
Ukroboronprom noted that deepening the partnership with the Czech Republic in the defence sector will contribute to Ukraine's deeper integration into the defence industry of the North Atlantic Alliance. Today the concern already has several cooperation agreements with more than ten NATO member states.