MOSCOW, June 7. /TASS/. The Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) of Russia is up against unprecedented pressure, its head Dmitry Shugayev said during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, adding that Russia’s partners are also facing a lot of heat.
"We are up against unprecedented pressure and we are witnessing that our partners are under very serious pressure as well. But we consider the interests of our old partners, and we seek to establish good relations with our new ones, and take their perspective. As you say, the military-technical cooperation sometimes enjoys silence, too," Shugayev said.
According to the official, Russia exports ground and naval vehicles, which are in great demand.
"However, certainly, a fierce competitive environment exists here, and we have to work under very, very difficult conditions. Especially considering that our competitors, even despite the general difficult situation, have stepped up their pressure on our partners, first and foremost," Shugayev underscored.
Military-technical cooperation during pandemic
He revealed that the military-technical cooperation had suffered significantly due to the pandemic.
"I mean our relations with our partners, because, due to the totally objective circumstances, our interactions, and our contacts were reduced. Marketing suffered seriously as well. For example, almost all international expo events were cancelled. There was one exception - our Army 2020 forum in Kubinka. This was the only major event that took place last year," the official said.
"It is enjoying increasingly more attention," he noted. According to the head of the agency, the forum has already become a legendary event.
"It is very important to note that we still have regions that we cooperate with, mainly our partners from the Asian and African regions," Shugayev said.