MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin has become Russia's most effective
arms salesman in the Middle East.
Industry analysts said Putin overcame reservations from several Middle
East governments and won contracts for Russian arms sales over the last
year. The analysts cited such countries as Algeria, Iran, Morocco, Sudan,
Syria and Yemen.
In a briefing, Putin said Algeria has become a major defense client of
Russia, Middle East Newsline reported. But he did not disclose details of the March defense accord.
"Putin is a man willing to roll up his sleeves and close a deal," a
Russian industry source said. "There's never been anyone as forceful as him
on the issue of arms exports."
"More than any of his predecessors, Putin knows how to translate
political and economic influence into arms sales," the industry source said.
"He has made arms sales a major element in bilateral relations, particularly
with the Middle East."
On March 31, Putin told the Federal Military-Technical Cooperation
Service, or VTS, that Russia exported $6 billion in weapons in 2005. He said
the sales exceeded Moscow's target by 25 percent.
In 2005, the state arms export agency Rosoroboronexport reported an
orders backlog of $18 billion. Putin said this marked a 61 percent increase
from the previous year.
Rosoroboronexport asserted that Russia planned to sell $4 billion worth
of weapons to Iran over the next few years. In a statement, the agency said
Moscow intends to export $2 billion to Syria and $400 million to Sudan.
The sources said Putin, who heads VTS, reversed assessments that Russia
would fail to complete a major defense accord with Algeria. They said Putin
agreed to a range of Algerian demands for debt forgiveness and barter in
exchange for an Algerian commitment to purchase up to $7.5 billion in new
platforms, upgrades and munitions.
Putin, the sources said, set the proposed arms deal as the leading
bilateral issue during his five-hour meeting with Algerian President Abdul
Aziz Bouteflika on March 10. In the end, Bouteflika agreed to confirm the
Russian arms offer but neither government issued an announcement.
In 2005, Putin completed arms deals with Iran, Morocco and Syria. In a
deal that surprised the United States, Rabat, a longtime American ally,
agreed to purchase Russian short-range anti-aircraft batteries.
In all, Russia exported weaponry to 61 countries in 2005. Putin said
Russian defense majors, such as Sukhoi and RSK-MiG, have won major contracts
since they were allowed to market without Rosoboronexport.
Industry sources said Putin has identified Turkey, a NATO member, as the
next major potential client of Russia. They said the president has urged
Ankara to purchase Russian attack helicopters, anti-aircraft systems and
missiles.
