RIYADH, 8 February — In a major move to bolster air capability, Saudi Arabia will acquire 16 helicopters from Italy with delivery schedule staggered over a period of eight months from June this year, Italian Ambassador Torquato Cardilli said here yesterday. The Kingdom has already finalized an SR562 million helicopter deal with the Italian Agusta Company, which is associated with the US company Bell.
Torquato said the maintenance and training services for helicopter fleet, to be used mainly for the transportation of troops and for mounting self-defense equipment and machines, would be provided by the Italian company. He said Italian Chief of Staff General Mario Arpino, who will arrive here on Saturday, will hold talks with Saudi officials on the issue as well as other topics of interest.
He said delivery of the aircraft would start from June this year and two helicopters would be delivered every month. The Italian company will produce eight helicopters while the remaining eight will be manufactured at the production facilities of Bell. The Kingdom earlier purchased 16 helicopters from France.
Referring to the visit of General Arpino, who was the coordinator of the flying activities of the 10 Italian Tornadoes during the Gulf War, Brigadier General Domenico Mazza, Italian defense attaché in Riyadh, said Arpino would hold talks on how to broaden the defense cooperation between the Kingdom and Italy. He said Italy had been a strong partner of the Gulf states during the Gulf War.
Referring to the progressively growing relations between Saudi Arabia and Italy especially in oil and economy sectors, Ambassador Cardilli said Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi would visit Italy on March 19 to hold wide-ranging consultations with his Italian counterpart on a proposal to set up a permanent secretariat for the International Energy Forum in Riyadh Italy is the co-sponsor the next international energy conference to be hosted by Japan later this year.
Asked about the planned agreement on avoidance of double taxation, Massimiliano Mazzanti, second secretary at the Italian Embassy, said the draft of the treaty was ready for signing. The two sides will sign this accord on a mutually convenient date later this year. Riyadh and Rome have already signed an investment protection treaty.
The two countries have forged closer relations in commercial fields as well. The Italian companies are involved in 54 joint-venture projects with a paid-up capital of SR2.4 billion. On political front, the relations are progressively growing. Dr. Nizar Madani, assistant minister of foreign affairs, held political talks with Italian officials in Rome last week.
