BERLIN (Sputnik) — The volume of German small arms exports in 2015 fell to the lowest level seen in the last 15 years, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Friday.
According to Gabriel, the export of small arms from Germany in 2015 amounted to $37.5 million in comparison to $52.2 million in 2014.
"We have a decline of 13 million [euros], or 30 percent," Gabriel told journalists in Berlin, adding that the German small arms exports in 2015 equated to "the lowest in the last 15 years."
The minister noted that the government informed the public about the arms exports in an unprecedentedly transparent way in order to provide a basis for open debates on the issue.
However, in September 2015, Gabriel noted that German exports of small arms and ammunition to the Arab region increased by 32 times during first half of 2015, compared to the same period of 2014.
