Russia Seals $4.2bn in Arms Deals With Iraq
Russia Seals $4.2bn in Arms Deals With Iraq
Russia confirmed on Tuesday to signing more than $4.2 billion (Dh15.42 billion) in arms deals with Iraq during the second half of the year to make it the nation’s largest weapons supplier after the US.
A joint statement issued after talks between visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev said the deals were agreed during delegation visits this year and totalled “more than $4.2 billion”.
Earlier Russian reports in advance of Al Maliki’s first visit to Moscow in nearly four years said the contracts would all be signed jointly this week and totalled about $4.3 billion.
The negotiations reportedly covered Iraq’s purchase of 30 Mi-28 attack helicopters and 42 Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile systems that can also be used to defend against attack jets.