Russia sees sharp increase in arms exports

(VOVworld) - Russia has secured at least 7.5 billion USD in arms contracts with foreign customers since the beginning of 2014, said Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Wednesday meeting on Russia's military-technical cooperation.
Putin added that as a result, the foreign orders portfolio shows a steady trend at around 50 billion USD.
He said Russia has developed long term strategic partnerships with its arms importers, noting such ties should be maintained and enhanced. Russia, already the world's top arms exporter, sold some 15.7 billion dollars worth of weapons abroad -- primarily guns, missiles and fighter jets -- in 2013.
Russian arms exports in the first half of 2014 reached 5.5 billion USD. Russian weapons are sold to 66 countries and Russia has signed military technical cooperation agreements with 85 countries.