Italy's Leonardo-Finmeccanica aircraft manufacturer and the Russian Helicopters firm will build 17 helicopters for the Russian oil company Rosneft, the company said Friday in press release.

Earlier in the day Rosneft, Leonardo-Finmeccanica and Russian Helicopters signed a tripartite agreement at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

The agreement envisages that Leonardo-Finmeccanica will deliver 30 helicopters to Rosneft, with 17 out of 30 aircraft to be built on the facilities of HeliVert, a joint enterprise between Russian Helicopters and AgustaWestland, a Leonardo-Finmeccanica's subsidiary.

According to Rosneft, the helicopters will be delivered to Rosneft in 2018.

In 2014, Russia's State Corporation Rostec, the oil company Rosneft and Leonardo-Finmeccanica signed a trilateral agreement on strategic partnership, envisaging the production of 150 helicopters at the HeliVert plant outside Moscow.