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Russia, NATO to sign agreement on new level of technology cooperation

Moscow will also have an opportunity to enter the national classification numbers and the real suppliers

BRUSSELS, November 8 (Itar-Tass) – Russia and NATO will sign an agreement on an official transition to the second tier of engagement in the NATO Codification System in what concerns the exports and imports of defense-related technologies, the office of Russia’s ambassador to the North-Atlantic Alliance said in a press release.

On the Russian side, the document will be signed by Konstantin Biryulin, a deputy director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, and Nikolai Nezalenov, a department chief at the state weaponry trading corporation Rosoboronexport.

The signatory on the part of NATO is George Bond, Chairman of NATO Allied Committee (AC)135 – the Group of National Directors of Codification.

Transition to Tier 2 of participation in NATO’s codification system will empower Russia to enter the information on exported defense produce in NATO catalogues independently, the press release said. Moscow will also have an opportunity to enter the national classification numbers and the real suppliers.

In addition, Russia will get an opportunity to verify the information on suppliers of spare parts for the defense technologies of Russian and Soviet manufacture included in the NATO catalogue by other countries.

If need be, Moscow will be able to correct the information and thus rule out the placement of false or inconsistent data on the supplier companies.

Coordination with NATO in the field of defense technologies codification will be done on behalf of the Russia by the National Center for Codification that reports to the state issuer of orders for the exports/imports of defense-related products /CKGZ/.

A source at NATO headquarters told Itar-Tass cooperation with Russia in the field of defense technologies helps the member-states get quality licensed servicing and maintenance of the separate types of Russian weaponry their Armed Forces have on the tables of equipment.

This applies, among other things, to the helicopters manufactured in the former USSR, which still make up a considerable percentage of helicopter fleets in a number of East-European member-nations of the Alliance.

Besides, NATO is interested in the purchases of new Russian technologies, too. For instance, the U.S. purchased 21 Russian helicopters this year as part of a plan of equipment supplies to the Army of Afghanistan.