ABU DHABI, February 21. /TASS/. Russia’s state arms seller Rosoboronexport (part of the state tech corporation Rostec) signed contracts with African states to the tune of $1.5 bln in 2020, its Director General Alexander Mikheyev told reporters at the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX) 2021 on Sunday.

"The price tag is more than $1.5 bln. We signed contracts with more than ten African countries in 2020. We have received an advance payment and have started fulfilling it," Mikheyev said.

Russia continues working with its traditional partners in North Africa and the Persian Gulf, he noted. "Africa and the Persian Gulf - here we are working with traditional partners, whom all of you know. That’s why we keep meeting our commitments and we are supplying the equipment," Mikheyev said.

According to him, this direction accounts for a significant part of Rosoboronexport’s entire order portfolio, which reaches $50 bln. "North Africa and the Middle East accounted for nearly 30% of work in 2020," he noted.