ZHUKOVSKY (Moscow region), August 14. /ITAR-TASS/. Despite serious US criticism on famous actor Steven Seagal, he came to see the international defence forum Oboronexpo 2014, accepting an invitation from Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.

They went on a tour of a Russian arms show within the international exhibition of armaments, technologies and innovations Oboronexpo 2014 on Thursday.

The actor, who has been stating his positive attitude to Russia for a long time, particularly to Russian weapons, watched the exhibited weapons with a keen interest. The deputy prime minister gave personal explanations to him regarding nearly each exhibitt.

Notably, they took a look at the products of the United Engine-Making Corporation, Rostov optical mechanical plant specialised in night vision equipment and Russian major machine-building company Uralvagonzavod. Uralvagonzavod’s officials presented a T-shirt with the plant’s logotype to Seagal. Meanwhile, Rogozin and Seagal visited a stand of American multinational conglomerate company Honeywell at Oboronexpo.

The American actor who already promotes a Kalashnikov assault rifle tried a large-calibre sniper rifle produced at the Tula armoury. “If you advertise weapons, you should do this at full scale. If you do not do it, no one will do it,” Rogozin said, recalling that Seagal was a connoisseur of small arms and a good shooter.

The Russian deputy premier told Seagal in detail about anti-tank missile system Tigr-Kornet, noting that one such unit of military hardware can destroy a company of tanks and can leave the battlefield calmly after that.

The two high guests have studied smart Russian weapons at a stand of Radio-Electronic Technologies concern.

Rogozin said that his American friend “was quite surprised” with what he saw in a good sense of the word. “I invited my friend here,” Rogozin told Itar-Tass, adding that “Many people are criticising him in the homeland now, so, it is no easy for him.”

However, the deputy prime minister said that despite sanctions this was important to preserve co-operative ties in defence industry. “In general, I can say that there are some people who think not like Mrs Psaki in American political and cultural elite,” Rogozin said, adding that “I want to show these times of sanctions will pass and co-operation should be preserved. This is the main point. This will be primarily based on mutual respect.