Disarmament Diplomacy

Issue No. 14, April 1997

Russia Sets Ambitious Arms Sales Targets

Speaking at the Abu Dhabi arms fair on 18 March, Major General Alexander Koletkin, the Director General of Rosvoorouzhenie, Russia's arms export corporation, predicted a glitteringly successful next few years for his company: "I believe that by 1999, volumes of Russian and US exports will be pretty much equal at $6.5 billion, or maybe $7 billion." In particular, Koletkin said, "we're making a breakthrough in this [Gulf] region... From a cynical point of view, the situation in this region does improve Russia's exports."

Koletkin joked that, if the arms trade was compared to a cocktail drink, it was beginning to "taste more and more of Russian vodka."

Report: Russia aims for arms sales parity with US by 1999, targets Gulf, Agence France-Presse International News, 18 March.

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