Rosoboronexport And Russian Interior Ministry Sign Agreement To Increase Export And Import Of Special Equipment

On Friday Andrei Belyaninov, Director General of the Federal Unitary Enterprise Rosoboronexport, and Boris Gryzlov, Russian Minister of the Interior, signed an Agreement on cooperation to increase export and import of special equipment. According to the information provided to RIA Novosti by Rosoboronexport, the document stipulated "increase of export of special armaments and equipment developed or manufactured by the Ministry of the Interior as well as of import of similar products required to support operations of departments of the Interior and interior troops of the Russian Ministry of the Interior". Agreement partners will be "jointly engaged in marketing, advertising and exhibition business, in conduct of trial operations abroad of exported special armaments and equipment, and of imported equipment in Russia". The parties agreed to cooperate in the field of modernization of exported products, in foreign specialists' training to use Russia special armaments and equipment, as well as in a number of other fields. The Federal State Unitary Enterprise and the Ministry of Interior started preparations for the "Interpolitech-2002" forum devoted to 200th anniversary of the Russian Ministry of Interior as well as for the first Chinese international exhibition of police equipment which would take place in June 2002. According to Rosoboronexport's management, the enterprise previously used to "devote adequate attention to promotion of special means and weapons in foreign markets". But representatives of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise indicated that recently the significance of this area of Rosoboronexport's activity increased greatly due to the growth of interest abroad to Russian special equipment after the tragic events of 11 September this year.