Russia is interested in acquiring a larger stake in European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co., the parent company of airline manufacturer Airbus, Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, February 21.

Putin was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that such “meaningful cooperation would be interesting and useful not only for Russian producers but for their European partners”. He spoke at a meeting with French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy and Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie.

A larger acquisition was “in no way a step in the direction of an unfriendly acquisition,” he said.

Russia’s state-owned Vneshtorgbank alarmed EADS and its political patrons last year by declaring it had amassed a 5 percent stake in the Franco-German defense group.

French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Angela later reiterated that a Russian seat on the EADS board was out of the question.

Douste-Blazy, meanwhile, told Putin that Russia should buy more Airbus-350 passenger jets, and said France was interested in buying Russian helicopters for use in fighting forest fires. Alliot-Marie said she saw great cooperation in the field of manufacturing heavy-lifting helicopters as well as reconnaissance planes and unmanned aircraft.

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