09.08 India, China Interested in Ukraine�s Carrier Pilot Training Site - Minister

KIEV, August 9 (RIA Novosti) - India and China are interested in using Ukraine�s carrier-deck pilot training site in Crimea, a senior defense official said Friday.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry told RIA Novosti in mid-July that Moscow had officially informed Kiev that it will not use the Nitka site in 2013.

�There are other countries that are showing some interest in using Nitka. These are India, China and others,� Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Mozharovskiy said.

No agreements have been reached with those nations to that effect yet, he said, adding that Russia has not officially ruled out operating the Nitka facility in future, and Ukrainian-Russian negotiations on the issue are ongoing.

In March, Ukrainian First Deputy Defense Minister Oleksandr Oleinik said Ukraine, which does not operate fixed-wing shipborne naval aircraft, was considering leasing out the Nitka training site to other countries.

Under a 1997 bilateral agreement, Russia has occasionally used Nitka, currently the only land-based training facility for its carrier-based fixed-wing pilots.

In May, Russian Navy Commander Admiral Viktor Chirkov said a new Russian carrier-deck pilot training site near Yeisk, on Russia's Black Sea coast would be ready for operation by next year.