- Putin expresses Russia’s willingness to strengthen ties with countries defending national interests against the West, offering technological and military assistance
- He proposes expanding cooperation, promoting an equal security system, and expects important agreements and export contracts during the forum
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has stated that his country is willing to strengthen bilateral ties with countries pursuing national interests against the West.
He stated that his country, which has been at odds with Ukraine and its Western allies, will provide technological and military assistance to those countries.
According to Anadolu Agency, Putin stated this in a video address to the international military-technical forum Army-2023 in the Moscow region.
Russia is open to deepening equal technological partnership and military-technical cooperation with other countries, with everyone who defends their national interests, their independent path of development, Putin said.
The Russian president said that an “equal indivisible security system” is “fundamentally important,” and he proposed expanding cooperation in various areas.
This followed the Niger coup that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum’s democratic government, prompting Putin to visit Mali and Burkina Faso.
Following the Niger coup, Putin visited Burkina Faso’s military leader, Colonel Ibraheem Traore, and called his Malian counterpart, Assimi Goita.
Although Putin stated that he called for a peaceful resolution in the West African country as the military takeover spreads across the Sahel, unfounded reports claim that he is exploiting the situation to gain influence.
“And we expect that, as before, important agreements and export contracts will be signed on the forum’s sidelines,” the Russian leader said of the agreements with countries.
In fact, we are talking about creating a new independent science-intensive and high-tech industry. And of course, we suggest paying attention to the innovative and civilian products of our defense industry enterprises. These are boats and helicopters, amphibians and drones for the widest range of applications, he added.
He stated that Russia provides its partners with “the latest control systems, intelligence, high-precision weapons, and robotics.”
Putin hoped that the forum would contribute to strengthening “military and military-technical partnership for the benefit of security and stability in the emerging multipolar world.”
According to Anadolu Agency, the event, which will feature hundreds of Russian military-industrial complex companies showcasing their wares, is set to conclude on Sunday.