MOSCOW, November 22. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin on Tuesday criticized organizers of the Farnborough air show for their refusal to accept Russian military hardware next year.
"It is silly to deprive your visitors of a chance to see the world’s best combat aviation that had played a decisive role in the outcome of the Syrian war," Rogozin wrote on his Facebook page.
Earlier on Tuesday, the aerospace show’s press office notified TASS that Farnborough organizers had prohibited Russia from showcasing its military products at next year’s exhibition. "We take guidance from the British Government’s Export Control Organization (ECO) regarding the EU embargo on imports of armaments and military hardware to and from Russia. We welcome all exhibitors, Russian or otherwise, that fall within these ECO guidelines," the press service states.
In 2016, Russia’s participation in Farnborough was minimal. The space corporation Roscosmos did send a delegation but no exhibits. Russia’s arms exporter Rosoboronexport, too, declared its reluctance to participate.
In 2014, more than half of Russian delegates were denied British visas due to the geopolitical situation in Ukraine. After Britain in 2015 kept a Roscosmos delegation away from a local defense exhibition the space corporation decided against bringing its exposition to Farnborough-2016.
The biennial international aerospace show at Farnborough is one of the world’s largest. It is held at an airdrome near a city of the same name in Hampshire. Next year’s show is scheduled for July 16-22.