The Public Joint-Stock Company Kharkiv Tractor Plant in 2017 will participate in military production cooperation and in work to fulfill the government's military production, including the program to substitute domestic goods in the military sphere, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said during a visit to the factory on Friday in Kharkiv.

The head of state said the state military supply order approved in February for 2017 to 2019 provides a large amount of work for enterprises in the military production sector.

"I have good news for you. There is also an order for Kharkiv Tractor Plant," Poroshenko said, noting the importance of increasing capacity at the factory for production of military equipment "because our all-purpose armored tows have performed well during the defense of our state [in eastern Ukraine]," Poroshenko said.

Poroshenko said the necessary documentation and equipment has been preserved.

According to the president, in 2017 Kharkiv Tractor Plant will also take part in the program to replace foreign-produced equipment for the military. The corresponding plans, he said, had been reviewed during talks with the head of the factory.

Kharkiv Tractor Plant, which belongs to businessman Oleksandr Yaroslavsky, has years-long experience producing all-purpose light-armored tows. There are some 80 modifications of the vehicle, including the well-known 122-mm self-propelled mortar 2C1 Gvozdika.