Russian Arms Sales To Hit $7.5 Billion in 2007: Official

By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, MOSCOW


Russia plans to export a record $7.5 billion (5.5 billion euros) of arms in 2007, up 15 percent from last year, a presidential aide said April 20.

”Our projections for 2007 are $7.5 billion (5.5 billion euros),” Alexander Burutin said during a meeting with Russian Orthodox priests who serve the country’s armed forces.

Russia exported $6.5 billion worth of arms in 2006, with the largest deliveries going to China and India.

Other major buyers included Algeria, Jordan and Syria, while Russia hopes to increase sales to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Morocco, Kuwait, Qatar and Venezuela, Burutin said.

Well done...

Šteta što i mi nismo na listi...

Libya nears arms deal with Russia

Libya and Russia are believed to be close to signing an arms agreement for the sale of Russian fighter aircraft and air-defence systems to Tripoli under a USD2.2 billion deal.

The move would appear to dash French hopes of selling advanced military equipment to Libya.

Official sources in Moscow and Tripoli said a Libyan delegation led by Abdul Rahman Assayed, an official in charge of Libya's military procurement programme, visited the Russian capital in early May to discuss the acquisition of 12 Su-30MK2 and 12 MiG-29SMT fighters as well as long and short-range air-defence systems and one or two Kilo-class (Type 636) diesel-electric submarines.

The Libyans conferred with Sergei Chemezov, General Director of Russia's state defence exports organisation Rosoboronexport, and Sergei Prikhodko, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sources close to the negotiations said the deal could be finalised during a visit by Putin to Tripoli and Sirte in Libya scheduled for September.

If confirmed, the accord would thwart efforts by Paris to interest the Libyans in acquiring France's Rafale multirole fighter aircraft and the Tiger combat helicopter built by Eurocopter.