26 Jun 2020 14:54

Over 1,000 companies to participate in Army forum, 133 defense ministers invited - Shoigu

MOSCOW. June 26 (Interfax) - The Army international military-technical forum will take place in late August, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting of the Defense Ministry board on Friday.

"This year, the forum will be held on August 23-29 in Patriot Park, at the Kubinka airfield, at the Alabino and Ashuluk firing ranges, and in all military districts and the Northern Fleet," Shoigu said.

"The defense ministers of 133 countries and official delegations from various states are invited," he said.

The International Army Games and Tank Biathlon will start at the same time as the forum, Shoigu said. The ministry hopes the new format will boost the quality and effectiveness of both events, "will make them more attractive to visitors, will create the best conditions for the work of foreign delegations, and will broaden the capabilities of official talks and meetings," he said.

"More than 1,000 Russian and foreign companies have now said they will participate in the upcoming forum. They will present more than 25,000 various types of weapons and pieces of military equipment," Shoigu said.

Russian defense enterprises will present their latest developments not only at a static exposition, but also during the demonstration part of the forum, he said. The Defense Ministry is providing some 690 modern weapons for this purpose.

"The scientific and business program includes issues relating to ensuring the defense and security of the state, the development of the production and technological potential of the Russian defense sector, and also international military and military-technical cooperation," Shoigu said.

More than 1,300 enterprises presented more than 27,000 military and dual-purpose products at the Army 2019 forum, he said. Nine foreign states deployed their national expositions. More than 170 scientific and business events were held, and 46 state contracts worth more than one trillion rubles were signed. Official representatives of 120 countries, including more than 40 high-level delegations, took part in it. In total , more than one million people visited the forum.