Boeing

Thomas Pickering, Boeing senior vice president, International Relations, visited Moscow Oct. 15-17 as a member of a U.S. Trade Mission.

The delegation, composed of top executives from 14 American companies, was headed by Donald Evans, U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

Pickering held the post of U.S. Ambassador to Russia from 1993 to 1996. In 2000 he joined The Boeing Company as senior vice president, International Relations. He now leads Boeing's strategic globalization efforts.

During the visit Evans and Pickering held meetings with Mikhail Kasyanov, Russian Prime Minister, Gennadiy Seleznev, Chairman of the State Duma (Parliament), German Gref, Minister of Economy, and Sergei Frank, Minister of Transport.

Pickering discussed expansion of these programs with Russian officials, as well as Boeing participation in a Russian Regional Jet development program, which currently is being implemented with Sukhoi Civil Aircraft and Ilyushin. Program authors hope to develop and produce the airplane in Russia, and to sell it both to Russian and foreign customers.

Pickering also discussed commercial utilization of the International Space Station's FGB-2 module; the issues related to the leasing of Russian and foreign-made airplanes; maintenance and conversion of airplanes in Russia; and certain financial matters.

"We are quite satisfied with the development of our programs in Russia," Pickering said. "Our prospects are bright for the next 10 years and more -- an opinion shared by our Russian partners. The present situation in the world enables our countries to conduct mutually beneficial business in the hi-tech and space fields. We believe we are in a position to make a great contribution to safety in air travel."