MOSCOW, April 11. /TASS/. Russia signed export defense contracts worth over $9 billion last year, Director of the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev said on Tuesday.

"Russian contractors engaged in military and technical cooperation signed contracts worth over $9 billion in 2016," Shugayev said as he spoke in the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy on the topic: "Russia’s Military and Technical Cooperation with Foreign Countries."

In 2016, 55 sessions of inter-governmental commissions, committees and working groups on the issues of military and technical cooperation with Russia’s foreign partners were held, he added.

The work to develop comprehensive post-warranty services for supplied arms and also to set up and re-equip maintenance centers on the territory of foreign customers is an important area of military and technical cooperation, he noted.

"Today this is an essential requirement set to the producers and suppliers of military products," he said.

18 international agreements

Russia signed 18 international agreements in the sphere of military and technical cooperation last year, according to Shugayev.

"In 2016, 18 international agreements in the sphere of military and technical cooperation were signed and the deliveries of Russian military products to 52 countries were made while the number of our partners in the field of military and technical cooperation exceeds a hundred of states," Shugayev said.

Shugayev noted that Europe was number four on the list of Russian military export recipients in 2016, while Asian countries held first place.

"On the 2016 list of the world’s regions that receive Russia’s military export products Asia was number one with 53%, Africa, second with 42%, North and South America with 3% and Europe 2%," Shugayev said.

Contacts with the Philippines were on the ascent.

"The Philippines has taken interest in various Russian weapon systems, armored vehicles, firearms, helicopters and naval technologies in the first place. This market looks promising to Russian providers," Shugayev said.