By RIA Novosti
New Delhi : Russia’s ambassador to India said Tuesday that the Defexpo 2008 exhibition is a good opportunity for Russia to broaden its military and technical cooperation with India and Asia Pacific countries.
The international defense exhibition, held in New Delhi on February 16-19, comprises 475 military and technical companies from 30 countries, with Russia being one of the largest exhibitors.
“Russia is showcasing its latest achievements in the arm industry and military-technical sciences. We are hoping to interest the Indian Armed Forces and the authorities generally,” Vyacheslav Trubnikov said.
Russia’s state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport is showcasing advanced Kalashnikov AK-101, AK-102 (5.56 mm), AK-103 and AK-104 (7.62 mm) assault rifles, the AN-94 Abakan machine-gun, the Bizon-20-1 (9 mm) pistol, the OSV-96 sniper rifle, and night vision devices.
“The current arms exhibition in many ways influences sales prospects for Russian military equipment in the Asia Pacific region,” Trubnikov said.
Nikolai Dimidyuk, who heads Rosoboronexport’s delegation, said that over 200 military specialists from various regions had visited the Russian stands.
The Defexpo India exhibition was conceptualized in 1998 to promote defense exports from India and exhibit the capabilities of Indian defense R&D and production. The exhibition, which began in 1999 with 197 exhibitors, has now grown into one of the most recognized international defense exhibitions in the world.
International seminars, especially the India Defense Industry Summit, held as part of the exhibition have evolved into the biannual International Defense Industry Forum.