Putin Says Russia's Arms Exports Topped $15Bln in 2014
18:56 27.01.2015(updated 20:12 27.01.2015)
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russian weaponry remains one of the most popular military equipment in the world. He also added that Russia exported over $15 billion worth of arms last year.
MOSCOW, January 27 (Sputnik) – Russia sold over $15 billion worth of military equipment abroad in 2014 and signed new contracts worth almost $14 billion during the same period, President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.
'The Russian weaponry remains among the most sought after in the world,' Putin said at a meeting of the Committee on Military-Technical Cooperation, adding that Russia sold military equipment to more than 60 countries in 2014.
'Russia will expand its presence on promising [arms] markets, including the Asia-Pacific region, the African continent, Latin America, and the Caribbean,' Putin added.
In December 2014, Vladimir Kozhin, the Russian presidential aide for military-technical cooperation, said that the country's portfolio of foreign arms orders was worth $48 billion.
In 2014, several Russian defense companies, including Oboronprom, United Aircraft Corporation and Uralvagonzavod became targets of Western sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukrainian crisis.
In September, Kozhin said, however, that the West's restrictive measures had not affected Russia's arms exports and could never lead to the collapse of the country's defense industry.
© Sputnik
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