Minister Sergei Shoigu met with Matthias Platzeck, the president of Bundesrat (the upper chamber of the German parliament) and the prime minister of Land Brandenburg.
"We discussed options for the joint construction of a Be-200 aircraft equipped with a Rolls Royce engine and agreed that our specialists would meet at the MAKS air show [outside Moscow] and then try to start construction of the aircraft next year," Shoigu said.
According to him, the airplane will receive European certification with this type of engine. "As a result, we will open the European market as well as the Chinese and Australian markets," he added.
Shoigu said a joint Russian-German aircraft complex, Global Radius, would be shown to the world in 2006.
"The complex will consist of planes and helicopters that will be used in a joint response to various emergency situations," Shoigu said.
The minister said Germany would have four hospital planes in the complex, whereas Russia would have an Il-76 transport, which carries medical helicopters. Firefighting planes capable of landing on water will feature as well. "The complex was designed jointly with German colleagues," Shoigu added.
The minister also discussed with Platzeck a plan to establish a single system for tsunami prevention.
"We have proposals for the joint implementation of the project. Russia and Germany are ready to invest in it," Shoigu said.
According to him, Russian and German specialists will discuss this project in the next three or four months.
