KLIMOVSK (Moscow Region) (Sputnik) — Russia has broadened the sales prospects for state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, which may now export weapons and equipment to civilians as well as foreign militaries. The company hopes to enter new markets, Rosoboronexport's Deputy Director General Igor Sevastyanov said on Wednesday.
"With the adoption of amendments to the [Russian] federal law on weapons in 2017, Rosoboronexport obtained the right to export civilian and service weapons… These changes will allow us to expand the order book and enter new markets," Sevastyanov said at a meeting of the company's press club.
"Since 2001, the total volume of its exports has amounted to about $25 billion, and today we are seeing an increase in demand in Southeast and Central Asia, Central and Western Africa and Latin America," Sevastyanov added.
Additionally, Rosoboronexport (part of the state corporation Rostec) will expand its range of export products, offering goods aimed at combating terrorism, Yuri Kaptelkin, Head of the Office of Rosoboronexport's director general, said Wednesday.
"For the purpose of developing a new aspect of the special exporter’s activity, a special thematic cluster of enterprises of the Rostec state corporation was formed, which [enterprises] are manufacturing products for counter-terrorism. Development is conducted in collaboration with experts on countering terrorism and offenses from all Russian security structures: the Defense Ministry, Interior Ministry, Emergencies Ministry, Federal Security Service, and National Guard," Kaptelkin told reporters.
"In 2017-2018, we will conduct a repositioning of the image of Rosoboronexport… we see promoting [ourselves] to the external market for security services as one of the drivers of the company," Kaptelkin stressed.
On July 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the Federal Law On Amendments to the Federal Law On Weapons, which clarified particular definitions and procedures for the import and export of weapons.
