Putin says Russia must boost arms exports: RIA news agency
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia
should boost its arms exports to help the industry upgrade and add more
high-end jobs to the labor market, President Vladimir Putin was quoted
as saying on Monday.
Russia is the focus of military tensions with the
West over its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. It has also been a
long-standing arms supplier to Syria and ally of President Bashar
al-Assad, who opposition forces are seeking to oust.
"It is
important to... strengthen Russia's presence on global arms markets,"
RIA news agency quoted Putin as telling a meeting on military
cooperation with foreign countries.
"Beyond doubt, this should
help national defense industries to plan for an expansion and update of
production, (and) create new quality jobs."
Russia is already the
world's top arms exporter and sold some $15.7 billion worth of weapons
abroad - primarily guns, missiles and fighter jets - in 2013.
Other leading buyers of Russian arms include India, China and Venezuela.
Russia is also modernizing its own armed forces and has showcased their
new face in the small mobile units that helped seize Crimea earlier
this year, prompting the West to slap sanctions on Moscow.
Uncertainty over Russia's military ambitions has led to unease among
foreign investors, who have been pulling funds out of the country, in
turn damaging a once vibrant economy.
The economy ministry
expects gross domestic product growth to slow sharply to just 0.4
percent this year, though its minister, Alexei Ulyukayev, has said this
forecast may be raised.
Net capital outflows from the country may
reach around $80 billion in the first half of the year, Interfax news
agency cited Ulyukayev as saying.
Moscow has also stepped up the
frequency of unannounced military drills in recent months and Putin has
said that practice would continue to keep his army combat-ready.
He also called for further efforts to replace defense industry imports -
including from Ukraine - with Russia's own production in an effort to
make the country's defense industry self-sufficient.
Russian arms exports in the first half of 2014 reached $5.6 billion, Putin was quoted as saying.
(Writing by Gabriela Baczynska, editing by John Stonestreet)
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