LISBON, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Portuguese government defended the National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC) on Thursday after a team of Russian mechanics were expelled from an airbase.
"The most important thing is the defense of the public interest and the national interest," Minister of Internal Administration Eduardo Cabrita told journalists in Lisbon. "The ANPC safeguards national interests in matters of operational defense and contractual relations with private entities."
The ANPC shut down a hangar where the Russians were performing maintenance work on three Kamov helicopters. According to the ANPC, Heliavionic, the private company in charge of maintenance, had been moving equipment around without identification or authorization.
Ricardo Dias, the president of Everjets, which subcontracted the maintenance work to Heliavionic, who employed the Russians, told TSF radio that the mechanics "were furious and promptly left the country."
All parties were quick to deny that the ANPC's actions were related to the spate of Russian diplomatic expulsions seen in much of Europe these past few days, though not in Portugal. The ANPC has claimed a contractual dispute, while Dias said the mechanics were upset at insinuations of theft.
The incident occurred at the Ponte de Sor aerodrome in Portoalegre, a town 225 km northeast of Lisbon.
The Russians were working on the helicopters to try and have them ready to combat forest fires over the summer.
Cabrita sought to assuage fears that the dispute would hamper Portugal's firefighting capabilities.
"This year we will have the best air-based defensive unit the country has ever seen," he said.
The Kamov helicopters have been a source of continuous controversy since six of them were purchased by the Portuguese government in 2006.
After huge delays in their delivery, they eventually arrived unoperational. It took a further three years to get them airborne. A series of crashes and mechanical failures since then has meant they've spent more time grounded than fighting wildfires.
