Ukrainian PM Comments on ‘Faulty’ APC Purchase Deal with Georgia

After talks with his Georgian counterpart Zurab Nogaideli in Kiev on November 11 Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuri Yekhanurov made a cautious statement about a controversy involving the procurement of armored personal carriers (APC) by Georgia from Ukraine, which, according to the Georgian Ministry of Defense, were faulty at the time of purchase.

?I have learned that these [APCs] were produced in the Zhitomir factory and, as I was an MP from that district, I know very well that very responsible people are working there. I think this issue will be solved without the involvement of the [Georgian and Ukrainian] Prime Ministers,? the Ukrainian PM told reporters after talks with Zurab Nogaideli.

Prime Minister Nogaideli was accompanied to Ukraine by Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, who reportedly held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart. No details of the talks are reported but it is most likely that the issue over the purchase of APCs was discussed.

The Georgian Defense Ministry purchased 40 BMP-2s from Ukraine last year. In September, 2005 the military police arrested three ex-officials from the Defense Ministry?s logistics department and charged them with abuse of office. They were in charge of overseeing this procurement. The Georgian Ministry of Defense claims that the APCs were faulty at the time of purchase, but the detainees strongly deny this fact.

Local military analysts also challenge this allegation by the Georgian Ministry of Defense and claim that lack of professionalism employed by the combat crew resulted in improper use of BMP-2s which, in turn, resulted in the vehicles breaking down.

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