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Ukraine, China to jointly produce world’s biggest plane

The countries have signed an agreement on the joint production of the world’s biggest cargo plane An-225 Mriya

An-225 Mriya EPA/VALDA KALNINA

An-225 Mriya

© EPA/VALDA KALNINA

KIEV, August 31. /TASS/. Ukraine’s Antonov State Aircraft-Making Enterprise has signed an agreement with China Aerospace on the joint production of the world’s biggest cargo plane An-225 Mriya, the Antonov press office reported on Wednesday.

"On August 30, 2016, the Antonov State Enterprise and Aerospace Industry Corporation of China (AICC) signed an agreement on cooperation under the An-225 program," the press office said in a statement.

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Under the document, the sides expressed their intention for long-term cooperation, which stipulates the assembly of the second modernized An-225 Mriya plane at the Antonov enterprise during the first stage for its delivery to AICC and the creation of the joint serial production of An-225 planes in China at the second stage under the Antonov license.

"Both stages will be implemented under the terms of separate contracts," the Antonov press office said.

This agreement does not stipulate the transfer of the An-225 Mriya ownership rights to the Chinese side, the Antonov press office said in comment for TASS.

"There is no talk about the transfer of the right. Mriya will remain with us," the press office said.

Ukrainian media outlets reported earlier that the cooperation agreement envisaged the transfer of the ownership right to the world’s biggest plane An-225 to China, including the use of the plane’s drawings and specifications.

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