New arms development, defense reform programs until 2020 must be sent to govt by July 1
Ukraine is preparing a new state targeted defense program on developing the arms and military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the state program on reformation of defense industry until 2020 which are to be submitted to the government by July 1, 2015, Head of the interagency commission for defense and technical cooperation and export control at the National Defense and Security Council (NSDC) Oleh Hladkovsky has said.
Commenting on the recent decision of the NSDC to create the interagency commission for defense and technical cooperation of the Council, Hladkovsky said that the adoption of the new defense sector programs is a top-priority task for the newly created commission.
He said that the realization of the interrelated programs which are being prepared with the participation of the NSDC is aimed at increasing the level of training and equipment of the military to effectively resolve tasks related to the protection of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state amidst Russian aggression.
The creation of the conditions to attract investment to the defense sector and the establishment of new cooperation are among the key tasks of the commission, he said.
Tax benefits for imports of spare parts for the defense sector should be a good incentive for an inflow of investment to the sector.
"Certain preferences will be included in the state program on developing arms of Ukraine until 2020," he said.
Hladkovsky said that NSDC managed to achieve many things within the format of the interagency commission for defense and technical cooperation and export control of the Council, which was reconstituted in September 2014.
Among the positive results of the commission's work is aid worth over $50 million for the defense sector, which was given by Ukraine's countries-partners.
He said that the work of bilateral intergovernmental commissions for defense and technical cooperation that was frozen has been resumed: this concerns the EU, the United States and NATO. Work on increasing the production of new arms systems in Ukraine, and revising and introducing defense research and advanced development was also started, he added.
