MOSCOW. Sept 16 (Interfax-AVN) - The Rosoboronexport state- owned arms trading company is expanding military-technical cooperation with African nations, the company said in a press release circulated on Monday.
"The work is in progress in the framework of a concept of active and aggressive marketing with a goal of expanding and balancing the geography and range of Russian arms and military hardware supplies, and returning to the African market, most of which was lost after the collapse of the USSR, in new economic conditions," the release reads.
"Positive changes have occurred in military-technical cooperation with African nations. The Rosoboronexport state-owned unitary enterprise has visibly scaled up cooperation with traditional importers of Russian arms, these being Angola, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia and Uganda," the release reads.
In addition, Rosoboronexport has made specific steps to promote Russian products of military and dual purpose in such countries as Botswana, Kenya, Cote D'ivoire, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Djibouti, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Niger, Chad and the Gambia, the company reports.
"While conducting military-technical cooperation with nations having their own facilities for military production and repairs of arms and military hardware, the Rosoboronexport state- owned unitary enterprise acts as a coordinator of integration ties between defense branches of Russian and African industries. The cooperation between Russian and South African aircraft making enterprises in modernization of the French Mirage F-1 fighter- bomber is an example of successful international military- technical ties," the release reads.