Russia Takes Part in Latin America International Exhibition on Defense And Technology in Brazil

The 4th Latin America Defentech (LAD-2003) International Exhibition and Conference on Defense and Technology opened Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro, with about 250 companies from 51 countries taking part.

Russia is represented at this arms show by 10 arms manufacturing facilities.

The Russian delegation is headed by Vladimir Pleshchuk, deputy chairman of the Defense Ministry's committee for defense and military-technical cooperation. "The prospects of our relations with Latin American countries in defense is of paramount interest for Russia," he said in an interview with a RIA Novosti correspondent.

"Bilateral relations in military-technical cooperation between Russia and Latin American countries," he said, "are developing in four directions - small arms, armor, and air defense means."

The head of the delegation of the Rosoboronexport state-run unitary enterprise, Igor Sevastyanov, told RIA Novosti that Brazil was the most promising country in this context for Russia.

Rosoboronexport takes part in tenders for selling fighters and heavy helicopters for the Brazilian air force. It also plans to participate in a tender for armor vehicles selling, Sevastyanov said.

The LAD-2003 display occupies a territory of 10,000 square meters.