Putin: Russia remains world's second

MOSCOW, April 25. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia is firmly holding the place of world's second-largest arms exporter, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday at a meeting of the governmental commission in charge of cooperation in defense and related technologies.

Putin indicated that the size of the portfolio of orders had comes close to $50 billion.

'We have again confirmed that we are among the leaders at the global market and we are firmly holding place number two as regards the arms exports,' Putin said.

'The aggregate portfolio of export orders has reached a record size and it stands at well over $49 billion,' he said.

'In 2013, the export of Russia's products and services in the field of defense-related technologies grew 3% and exceeded $15.7 billion, which is more than in 2012,' he said. 'New long-term agreements worth $18 billion were signed last year,' the president added.

Ukraine's defense industry

The potential of Ukraine's defense industry, currently in acute crisis, must be preserved, Putin said on Friday.

If Ukraine suspended cooperation with Russia, this 'may be critical' for Ukraine's defense and industrial sector, Putin told a committee on military-technical cooperation.

'Meanwhile, preservation of jointly created scientific and design potential (of Ukrainian enterprises) meets interests of Russia and Ukraine,' he said.

Air defense systems

President Putin says Russia should increase production of air defense systems which are in demand at the global market.

'Air defense systems S-300, S-400, Pantsir-S1, for their technical and combat parameters, reliability and simplicity, are certainly leading on the world weapons market,' he said.

'Production capacities of most-advanced air defense systems should be increased and production of airborne high-precision weapons used in air defense should be developed,' the president told a committee on military-technical cooperation on Friday.