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| Russia announces Libya arms deal | Russia announces Libya arms deal |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Russia is to supply Libya with small-arms and other weapons to the value of $1.8bn (£1.1bn, 1.3bn euros), Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced. | Russia is to supply Libya with small-arms and other weapons to the value of $1.8bn (£1.1bn, 1.3bn euros), Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced. |
| The contract is worth nearly a quarter of Russia's entire foreign arms sales last year, put at $7.4bn by the state arms exporter. | The contract is worth nearly a quarter of Russia's entire foreign arms sales last year, put at $7.4bn by the state arms exporter. |
| Mr Putin said the deal had been signed on Friday during a visit by the Libyan defence minister. | |
| There was no immediate word from the Libyan side on the deal. | |
| Abu Bakr Yunis Jaber, Libya's defence minister, has been in Moscow for several days, meeting defence officials. | |
| Mr Putin gave no details of the arms covered by the contract. Russian media speculated earlier that it might include fighter planes. | |
| "Yesterday a contract worth 1.3bn euros was signed," Mr Putin announced at a meeting near Moscow with the director of the Russian small-arms manufacturer Izhmash, which makes the Kalashnikov assault rifle. | |
| "These are not just small-arms." | |
| Izhmash director Vladimir Grodetsky thanked Mr Putin for helping to secure sales for his plant which would, he said, keep one of its plants busy for at least two years. |