MOSCOW. Aug 21 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin has met with Iranian Roads and Transport Minister Hamid Behbahani, the Russian ministry's press service said.
Behbahani said during the meeting that Iran was ready to continue advancing contacts with the Russian aircraft manufacturing sector. He also confirmed the Iranian authorities' readiness to discuss a contract to purchase a large number of Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ-100) passenger airplanes.
"However, we are concerned about the fact that Russian aircraft makers do not pay due attention to their airplanes' after-sale maintenance," the Iranian minister said.
Such an after-sale maintenance system for Sukhoi Superjet and Tupolev Tu-204 airplanes is currently being created, Levitin said.
The Russian authorities also expressed their readiness to help Iran train and retrain pilots for Sukhoi Superjet 100 planes, as well as to monitor the technical state of Russian-made airplanes used in Iran.
Levitin said he was ready to travel to Iran this year together with representatives of the United Aircraft Corporation to hold talks on possible purchases of Sukhoi Superjet planes.