Ecuador evinces interest in used ships, aircraft

Ecuador has evinced interest in buying used fighter aircrafts and battleships from Qatar, Ecuador’s Defence Minister Patricio Zambrano Restrepo said in Doha yesterday.
Restropo was leading an official delegation at the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (Dimdex 2018), that concluded at the Qatar National
Convention Centre yesterday.
While expressing happiness at the discussions with his defence counterparts from Qatar and some other participating countries at the exhibition, the Ecuadorian minister said he could realise that Qatar is in possession of some of the most sophisticated equipment, fighter planes and battleships.
“We have adequate requirements of battleships to provide protection and security to the seas around our country as there have been incidents of pirate activities,” he said, citing the reasons for showing interest in buying ships and aircraft from Qatar.
Restropo described Dimdex as one of the most advanced exhibitions of naval and defence equipment he has ever came across. “The equipment showcased at the expo were of extremely good quality,” he said.
Restrapo also extended an invitation to a high-level defence delegation from Qatar to visit his country. A month ago, a ministerial delegation from Ecuador had met the Qatar Airways management and sought a direct service between Qatar and Quito.
Ecuadorian Armed Forces Commander Caeser Merizalde said he was highly impressed by the exhibits at Dimdex and high-level of participation by various delegations. “I am hopeful that our country would have a bigger delegation at the next edition of Dimdex,” he said.
Ecuador Naval Staff chief Renan Ruiz Cornejo said he visited the exhibition of warships at the Hamad Port and was extremely pleased to have toured some of the most equipped warships from the UK, the US, Italy, India, Pakistan, Oman and
Bangladesh.
At the meeting yesterday, Restrapo lauded the efforts being made by Ecuador’s ambassador to Qatar Ivonne Juez ABaki in helping their country build extremely good bilateral relations with Qatar in such a short period after her arrival in Qatar.