Special to WorldTribune.com

MOSCOW — Russia has reported a strong start in defense exports for 2014.

The Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said arms exports so far this year have exceeded $2 billion.

The exports were said to have included several clients in the Middle East, including Algeria and Syria.

“As of today, Russia has supplied military products worth $2 billion to its foreign customers,” service director Alexander Fomin said.

In a briefing on March 24, Fomin said Russia sought to diversify its client base to include South America. He said Moscow was offering technology transfer and co-production for major sales, including that of the new Sukhoi T-50 fighter-jet.

“We are offering our Chilean partners a localization of production in their country, which is certainly a very beneficial aspect of our proposed contracts,” Fomin said.

Officials said Russia was maintaining defense exports to such major Middle East clients as Algeria and Syria while negotiating major contracts with Egypt and Libya. They said Moscow was also discussing arms exports to the Gulf Cooperation Council, particularly Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

In 2013, Russia reported annual defense exports of $15.7 billion, an
increase of $2.5 billion from the previous year. Russia, ranked No. 2 in
global arms sales behind the United States, has disclosed plans to reach
$50 billion in annual exports by 2020.

  Alexander Fomin, Roar of the bear: Russian 2014 military exports already over $2 billion, Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Sukhoi T-50