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Rogozin to discuss technical military cooperation with Angola

In Soviet times, Russia supplied considerable amounts of armaments to Angola and is now planning to enhance its positions in the region

LUANDA, October 7 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Vice-Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin begins a two-day visit to Angola on Monday. Technical military cooperation will be the main subject to be discussed at the upcoming talks.

A source at the Embassy of the Russian Federation to Angola told Itar-Tass that the government delegation includes Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology Sergei Donskoi, who is Russian co-chairman of the bilateral intergovernmental commission on economic, scientific and technical cooperation and trade, Alexander Fomin, Director of the Federal Service for Technical Military Cooperation, Anatoly Isaikin, head of the Rosoboronexport organization, and Defense Ministry officials.

Rogozin is to meet with Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, Vice-President Manuel Vicente, and Manuel Helder Vieira Dias, Minister of State and Head of the Military Bureau of the Presidency.

In Soviet times, Russia supplied considerable amounts of armaments to Angola and is now planning to enhance its positions in the region.

One of Africa's largest defense budgets, amounting to over $6 billion, has been endorsed in Angola which is Africa's second-largest oil producer after Nigeria.

According to Angolan National Defense Minister Candido Pereira dos Santos, the government intends to bring into being a defense industry of its own. The national development plan of Angola for 2013-2017 prioritizes, in particular, the establishment of military industry facilities with capacities capable of satisfying the main requirements of the country's Armed Forces.

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