UK conducts its first trade mission to Ukraine: defence industry representatives sign number of agreements with Ministry of Defence. PHOTOS
Last week, a UK trade mission visited Ukraine for the first time, including representatives of the government and defence industry. The meetings resulted in a number of agreements, including with the Ministry of Defence.
This was reported by the British government, Censor.NET reports citing European Pravda.
The mission took place under the auspices of the Ministry of Business and the Ministry of Defence on 13-14 December and continued discussions at the DSEI defence exhibition in London on a possible partnership between British and Ukrainian companies.
During the visit, British and Ukrainian officials spoke to defence industry representatives from both countries about the possibilities for long-term cooperation.
The meetings resulted in a series of agreements.
In particular, the British company Babcock received a three-year contract from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine to service the Cherkasy and Chernihiv mine countermeasures vessels, which had been previously transferred by the UK. Prior to that, the company set up an office in Ukraine.
BAE Systems and AMS Integrated Solutions Ltd signed an agreement that will provide direct specialised support for Ukrainian artillery systems in Ukraine. In particular, the artillery transferred by the UK will be repaired and maintained at AMS centres in Ukraine, where Ukrainian specialists work.
Thales has signed a memorandum with Ukrainian drone development company Aerodrone "to provide new capabilities for the Armed Forces of Ukraine".
In total, the mission included BAE Systems, Babcock, Thales, AMS Global, and KBR. The communiqué notes that new such missions are planned for 2024 and that other defence companies will be able to take part in them.
