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Together with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, Mr Putin visited the Russian aircraft manufacturing industry pavilion, which includes the stands of Irkut, Tupolev and Sukhoi, in particular, and an exhibition by Rostec State Corporation.

The President also visited the pavilion organised by the festival Ot vinta (Clear Prop!), where young engineers demonstrated their inventions.

International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS is one of the largest in the world. This year it features around 600 Russian and more than 150 foreign corporations and companies from 30 countries. MAKS-2015 is taking place in the Moscow Region town of Zhukovsky on August 25–30.

Speech at the opening ceremony

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends, Let me congratulate you on the opening of the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2015. This is an event that traditionally brings together leading Russian and foreign aviation companies and demonstrates the latest models of air and space technology.

It is a pleasure to welcome our distinguished foreign visitors to the MAKS salon and the representatives of countries taking part in the event’s substantial business and flight programmes.

I am sure that regardless of the current international political situation, MAKS, as before, will offer an effective platform for contacts between the experts and developing production cooperation and finding new partners.

I note that a number of major agreements are set to be signed during the salon. They include agreements to deliver our modern Sukhoi Superjet-100 aircraft. Contracts for these planes will be signed with the State Transport Leasing Company, Yamal Airline, and Kazakhstani airline Skat.

Russia is open for productive business cooperation in the aerospace industry. We will actively promote our passenger and transport planes at home and on markets abroad. We will continue developing our country’s unique capabilities in the space sector, and will bolster our leading position in production of defence-sector aviation technology.

To do this, we are modernising facilities in our aircraft manufacturing and space and rocket sectors, introducing modern equipment, improving the components we use, and raising the quality and characteristics of the goods we produce. You will be able to look over many of the newest models our aircraft manufacturing and space sectors have to offer here at the salon.

For reference, I note that in 2014, our aircraft manufacturing sector’s industrial output increased by 20 percent. We conducted 38 rocket launches, including two launches of the Angara rocket, and placed 80 satellites in orbit.

As you know, Russia is carrying out a big project to build a new space launch centre, Vostochny. Russia’s Prime Minister has just made an inspection of the site.

Let me note some of the innovations at MAKS-2015. For the first time, the salon is holding a ‘Student’s Day’, which will showcase children’s and young people’s science and technology achievements and have events on professional orientation and raising qualifications. I think this is an excellent and much-needed initiative that will help to attract young people into the sector and raise interest in aviation and space exploration.

I am sure that the extensive exhibition of historical aircraft will capture visitors’ attention. A restored Soviet high-altitude MiG-3 fighter and the Russian multipurpose MiG-35 fighter will take to the skies together. I am sure that this will be a real present for all aircraft fans.

I want to mention too the Alaska-Siberia 2015 flight that took place just recently to mark the 70^th anniversary of Victory [in World War II]. Pilots from Russia and the United States of America, flying planes from the war years, followed this long and dangerous route that linked our countries during those years, and are now here in Zhukovsky. This undertaking made a worthy contribution to preserving the memory of the war and the courage and heroism of those who fought Nazism. Thank you to everyone who took part in this wonderful project.

In conclusion, I wish MAKS-2015 success, and wish the visitors and participants vivid memories and a great mood.

Thank you for your attention. Thank you very much.