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Slovakia evades talks with Russia on MiG-29 jets re-export to Ukraine — defense agency

The Russian equipment delivered on the terms of temporary imports continues to be illegally held by the Slovak side and may be transferred to Ukraine

MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/. The Slovak Defense Ministry evades negotiations with Russia on the re-export of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine despite Moscow’s repeated proposals to settle the issue in a civilized manner, Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said on Friday.

"Despite the repeated proposals by Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation and Russian contractors to settle the situation in a civilized manner, the Slovak Defense Ministry evades holding negotiations and resolving these issues," the defense agency said.

The Russian equipment delivered on the terms of temporary imports continues to be illegally held by the Slovak side and may be transferred to Ukraine, it said.

"In our estimate, the above-mentioned arguments indisputably evidence that the Slovak side violates not only its contractual commitments but also international export control rules," the defense agency said in a statement.

Acting Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad announced on March 22 that Ukrainian specialists were carrying out works to accept MiG-29 fighter jets being handed over to Kiev free of charge. It was reported that the first four out of 13 fighter jets removed from the Slovak Air Force inventory last year had been handed over to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation told TASS that Slovakia’s handover of fighter jets was a gross violation of its international commitments for the re-export of Russian armaments.

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