BUCHAREST -- Romania's Intreprinderea Aeronautica Romana SA helicopter maker Monday said it would sign a $37 million deal with the United Arab Emirates for 10 Puma military helicopters.


The company, which assembles the French helicopters under license, said it was negotiating the terms of the contract with the general staff of the United Arab Emirates for Puma SA 330 military helicopters.


"We hope to sign the final deal in two months from now," general manager Neculai Banea said by telephone from the state-run plant in the city of Brasov, 200 kilometers north of Bucharest.


Last week the helicopter maker delivered the last two Puma SA 330 helicopters from a lot of 10 similar aircraft ordered by the UAE earlier this year, Banea said.


"The clients told us they were satisfied with our work and that they would place a new order," he said.


The company is currently producing French Puma SA 330 military helicopters under licence for sale to Sudan, Pakistan, Ecuador, France, Ecuador and the United Arab Emirates. It has produced over 150 of the existing 600 Puma helicopters in the world.


In the period 1975-1987, the plant, which employs 2,700 people, also produced Alouette helicopters under licence from France's Aerospatiale.


Banea also said the company was in advanced negotiations with leading helicopter manufacturer Bell Helicopter Textron, a division of the U.S. company Textron Inc., involving a deal to assemble Bell helicopters in Brasov.


"Last month, experts from Bell carried out an audit at our plant and it appears that they were satisfied with the findings," Banea said. The latest talks had focused on possibilities to create a joint venture between the Romanian plant and Bell Textron.


"Under a possible cooperation project we would build both civilian and military helicopters," Banea said, adding that talks between his plant and the leading U.S. helicopter manufacturer had started two years ago.


If concluded, the deal would allow the plant to assemble Bell helicopters and sell them in East European and Middle East markets, a marketing official at the plant said.


Air-frames and mechanical parts for the helicopters would be supplied by Turbomecanica SA in Bucharest, Romania's leading producer of dynamic systems for Western helicopters.


Banea said his plant was also seeking a cooperation venture with France's Eurocopter to make under licence the small Ecureuil 350 and 355 civilian helicopters.