Top Russian Arms Exporter Offers Weapons for Oil and Gas
Russia says it plans to sell weapons in exchange for oil and gas, a Russian news agency reported.
The state-owned enterprise Rosoboronexport is looking at accepting hydrocarbons as payment for defense export, its general director, Sergei Chemezov, told the RBC news agency.
Chemezov is currently engaged in talks with Russian oil companies about the possibility of foreign energy companies handing over oil wells to Russian companies in exchange for weapons to that country.
Thailand — where officials are in talks over supplying the country with aviation technology — is paying for Russian defense equipment with poultry and other products, for example.
Rosoboronexport increased its sales by 2.4 percent in 2004, reaching a volume of $5.12 billion dollars. That is 87 percent of Russia’s total weapons sales, which grossed $5.78 billion, Chemezov was quoted as saying.
Chemizov added that while Russia exported to 59 countries last year, India and China remain the top importers of Russian defense equipment.
The statements came shortly after a meeting between Chemizov and President Vladimir Putin, who pointed out the need in service equipment for countries that exported Russian weapons.
