PARIS, June 19 (Reuters) - Ukraine is in negotiations with Western arms manufacturers to boost production of weapons, including drones, and could sign contracts in coming months, a Ukrainian minister told Reuters. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year Ukraine has been scrambling to secure weapons ranging from munitions to rocket launchers to missiles. "That's why we think international partners coming to Ukraine, setting up production and making Ukraine part of the security framework for the free world is so essential." And some of the companies say that they are willing to come and invest and produce drones," he said. But Boyev is hopeful that the country can attract foreign drone makers and said the Ukraine government could offer substantial support.

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Persons: Sergiy Boyev, Boyev, Volodomyr Zelenskiy, dronemakers, Baykar, Joanna Plucinska, Valerie Insinna, Olena Harmash, Susan Fenton Organizations: Strategic Industries, Kyiv, Reuters, Ukraine's, British, BAE Systems, Paris, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Western, Ukrainian, United States, Germany, Britain, Italy, France, Europe, Paris, Kyiv, Turkish, Russia, Moscow, Turkey, Norway, European