United Nations – Russian Federation Hold Fifth Annual Aviation Talks in Moscow, 27- 30 August 2019
Joint Communiqué
The United Nations and the Russian Federation held their fifth annual aviation talks from 28-30 August 2019 in Moscow, in conjunction with the International Aviation and Space Show MAKS-2019. The United Nations was represented by Mr. Atul Khare, Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support, while the delegation of the Russian Federation was led by Mr. Alexander Neradko, Director General of the Federal Air Transport Agency (FATA). 
The parties discussed issues pertaining to the aviation services provided by the Russian Federation to UN peace operations. USG Khare expressed great satisfaction at the support of the Russian Federation to the United Nations through its dedication to air operations in the service of field missions. The Parties agreed to take joint steps in order to continue to analyze the impact of the additionally installed helicopter equipment on the aviation safety.  The two parties also discussed aviation safety and security related issues, and highlighted the need for continuous improvement of practices and procedures to mitigate risks.  In this regard, the importance of air operators promptly reporting any incidents to the UN was acknowledged by both parties, and it was agreed to establish a “hotline” for open communication requiring emergency information to, or from, either side. This will enable rapid response to incidents, and contribute to aviation safety and security in UN field missions in general.
The United Nations briefed the Russian Federation on how the implementation of the new structure of the Department of Operational Support under the Secretary-General’s initiative for management reform benefits Member States, including through procurement procedures and end-to-end supply chain management. The USG informed the Russian Federation of the UN’s decision to solicit an independent assessment of the Requests For Proposal (RFP) solicitation methodology for aviation services in the autumn of 2019 in order to improve the process for the Organization and vendors alike. The registration status of Russian aviation service providers was also discussed, and the process for interested vendors to follow the standards and technical and operational evaluation criteria was explained to the delegation. 
The Russian Federation noted the significant improvements in the United Nations’ efforts to ensure timely payment for services provided by air operators, despite the austere cash position currently facing the Organization. The United Nations thanked the Russian Federation for its commitment to paying its own obligations in full, on time, and without condition, which sets an important example to other Member States.   
While in Moscow, USG Khare also met bilaterally with His Excellency Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin; and the First Deputy Minister of Emergencies Alexander Chupriyan on a range of issues encompassing, inter alia, Russian contributions to peace operations and opportunities for the development of strategic partnerships in logistics and emergency management. The USG also expressed his gratitude to the Russian Federation for its insights and ideas for casualty and medical evacuation which since 2015 have contributed to the development of improvements to UN policies and procedures for the benefit of the Organization as a whole, and through it the peoples of the world.  
A meeting was also held with the Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who hosted a procurement seminar for the UN delegation to brief representatives of Russian companies on how to do business with the United Nations.  
The United Nations Department of Operational Support and the Federal Air Transport Agency of the Russian Federation agreed to continue holding regular annual aviation talks, with the next meeting to take place in New York in the summer 2020.

Moscow. 30 August 2018