MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Import substitution became relevant for Russia as the West imposed several rounds of sanctions against Moscow, targeting Russia's banking, energy and defense sectors.
In August, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said that Russia would substitute all foreign components in domestically produced defense products by 2022. According to him, the substitution list includes 186 products from Ukraine and some 800 products from the EU and NATO.
"An import substitution plan is being implemented in the defense sector. Russian manufacturers are becoming more independent from the supply of imported components," Putin said, opening a session of Russia's Commission for Military-Technical Cooperation with Foreign States.
Meanwhile, Russia's cooperation with foreign states in the military-technical field is on the rise, Putin said.
"Russia continues to increase cooperation with foreign states in the military-technical field. The portfolio of our companies' orders exceeds $50 billion. We are fulfilling our obligations to foreign partners consistently, on time and with the required quality."
"Recently, competitiveness on the global market of weapons and military equipment has notably intensified, despite this sphere being competitive as it is. And our defense industry manufacturers are on the receiving end," Putin said.
The Russian president said that national weapons makers "faced unscrupulous competitive practices of Western companies this year."