MOSCOW, July 18./TASS/. Damascus discusses with Moscow the purchase of MC-21 planes, Russian Ambassador to Syria Alexander Kinshchak told Rossiya 24 television on Wednesday.

"They [Syrians] are interested in updating their plane fleet with our help, they are negotiating the purchase of the Russian MC-21," the ambassador said.

A project to modernize a major Syrian port is at the stage of practical coordination, the diplomat added. "I think we will shortly coordinate everything finally and will get down to implementation," Alexander Kinshchak said. Russia and Syria also discuss cooperation in reconstruction work on Syrian airport, he added.

The MC-21 is the family of short-and medium-haul narrow-body airliners intended to replace Tupolev Tu-134 and Tu-154 planes and also their Western rivals. It is the second large-scale Russian project after Sukhoi Superjet 100. MC-21 has been developed by the Irkut Corporation and the Yakovlev Design Bureau of UAC. The MC-21 made the maiden flight in Irkutsk on May 28, 2017.

The MC-21 has a flight range of 6,400 kilometers (3,977 miles), while the Sukhoi Superjet 100 can fly at a distance of 4,578 kilometers (2,845 miles).

The MC-21 carries 211 passengers, while the Sukhoi Superjet 100 airliner’s seating capacity is 108.