Belarus interested in procuring combat trainer planes - minister

BREST. Nov 23 (Interfax-AVN) - Belarus plans to buy a batch of L-39 combat trainers, Defense Minister Leonid Maltsev said on Thursday.

"We need more L-39 planes," Maltsev told reporters in Brest.

Asked whether the planes could be procured from Ukraine, where ten L-39s have already been procured, the minister recalled that "each supply requires a certain procedure, including a competition."

"If Ukraine wins the competition, there will be no problem," he said.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko said that "Ukraine is interested in supplying L-39s to Belarus and will take part in the competition, when it is announced."