MOSCOW, July 14. /ITAR-TASS/. Problems with UK visas for most of the Russian delegation to the international airshow in Farnborough are a sign of weakness and unhealthy competition that can have an adverse effect on the organizing country’s image, head of the department on exports of special property and services at Russian Rosoboronexport intermediary agency, Sergey Kornev, said on Monday.

“A strong and confident player is never reduced to such kind of thing,” Kornev said.

Russia ranked second after the US by global weapon supplies, so “the absence of visas for a number of Russian delegates to only one exhibition cannot negatively affect the global process of Russia’s military cooperation, while adverse consequences are possible for the organizing country’s image”, he added.

The Russian embassy in London had earlier sent the UK Foreign Office a note in connection to failure to issues visas to most of the Russian delegation, that is government officials.

This year’s airshow opens on July 14 to run until July 20. One of the world’s major airshows held since 1948, it will present the latest aviation samples and spacecraft of the leading producers. The previous show ended with $72 billion worth of contracts and agreements for about 750 aviation unit supplies.

This show will welcome more than 1,000 companies from 37 countries on a total display area of 100,000 square metres. Flight and field programs will demonstrate military and civil aviation from ten countries - Russia, the US, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Brazil, Switzerland and Qatar. Britain and the US will lead the show with 339 and 294 companies presented respectively.