It seems the Army general knows nothing of the group and less about civic duty.
I wonder about his connection to Mexico.
I wonder about his connection to Mexico.
Nah. He's just scared:
Busca Fox planta rusa para helicópteros
Jorge Alejandro Medellín
El Universal
Ciudad de México
Domingo 06 de junio de 2004
El mandatario mexicano busca se consolide el segundo complejo en Hidalgo y Veracruz para el ensamble de unidades militares serie Mil Mi, con la visita de Vladimir Putin
15:05 El presidente Vicente Fox buscará concretar un acuerdo comercial y tecnológico con el gobierno de Rusia, para que éste instale en Hidalgo y Veracruz plantas de maquinaria pesada para la industria militar, ensamble y mantenimiento de helicópteros de guerra de la serie Mil Mi.
Esto sucederá durante la primera visita de Estado que realizará a México el mandatario de Rusia, Vladimir Putin, en la que podría consolidarse la instalación de la segunda planta de armado de helicópteros de guerra, dado que en Campeche operan desde el 2001 los hangares del consorcio lituano Avia Baltika, que desde 1998 surte de material aéreo a la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (Sedena), a la Armada de México y a la Policía Federal Preventiva (PFP).
Avia Baltika, que inició operaciones en hangares de la Armada en Campeche, controla a la empresa "Kazan Helicopter", encargada de dar mantenimiento aquí a las aeronaves militares de las dependencias mencionadas.
El pasado miércoles, durante una gira de trabajo por Ciudad Sahún, Hidalgo, el presidente Vicente Fox adelantó su intención de firmar acuerdos con el gobierno ruso para instalar en México una de maquinaria pesada para la industria militar, y otra para el mantenimiento y ensamble de helicópteros bélicos.
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TRANSLATION
Fox wants to expand military ties with Russia
BY JOHN RICE/Associated Press
El Universal
Viernes 04 de junio de 2004
Nuestro mundo, página 7
THE PRESIDENT SAYS THE PRINCIPLE TOPIC OF TALKS WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN WILL BE MORE COOPERATION ON MAKING HELICOPTERS.
President Vicente Fox says his country hopes to expand military cooperation with Russia, assembling some Russian helicopters here and importing a mixed civilian-military factory. Speaking in the state of Hidalgo on Wednesday, Fox said the arms issue would be "a principal topic" in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is scheduled to arrive on Monday. Fox gave few details, but said possible projects include "the installation of a large maintenance center for helicopters" as the first step in a plan to assemble helicopters in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz.
The president said he also hoped to sign an agreement with Putin for a plant that would assemble heavy machinery "for the military industry, heavy machinery for the construction industry, heavy and transport machinery for various uses that occur in a dynamic economy." Fox said that factory was intended for Ciudad Sahagun, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Mexico City. The president mentioned the arms plans briefly during a speech dedicated to regional economic development. Mexico largely avoided Russian equipment during the Cold War.
But since the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, it has begun to adopt some Russian equipment, which is less expensive than that sold by the neighboring United States or most European suppliers. The Air Force and Navy operate at least 56 Russian-made transport helicopters, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Retired Gen. Luis Garcías Magaña, a former federal congressman, said Mexico would have to carefully study which Russian material should be made here, "not because it is bad, but because the investment is very high." "Weapons and helicopters that is complicated because you not only have to bring the factory but also bring experts, as they did with former Soviets in Cuba, to train Mexican personnel." He noted that such factories often can be used for civilian production as well. "From the practical point of view, the Mexican armed forces don't need huge things." Marco Vicenzino, a Latin America specialist at the IISS Washington office, said the projects were not likely to create a problem with the United States. "You're not talking missiles here," he said. "I don't see any major threat." "It just gives competition for the market."