08 November 2016 — In a briefing given to the Philippine Embassy in Moscow on November 03, Concern Kalashnikov showed how the iconic AK 47 assault rifle has developed into today’s modern variants. The briefing illustrated that the modern and vastly improved Kalashnikov assault rifle could match and exceed the specifications of its competitors. The briefing also showed that aside from having several variants of the modern Kalashnikov, these can be customized to suit the needs of the end user.

“We are grateful for this briefing and we will be reporting this as well as the details of our discussions to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) with the recommendation that the report be shared with our concerned agencies,” Philippine Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta said. The Ambassador attended the briefing together with Consul Luningning G. Camoying, Head of the Embassy’s Political Section.

“While there are no definite plans yet to purchase Russian small arms, I believe this briefing can be very useful in any comprehensive assessment of how to address our country’s defense needs. Any decision will have to be made by the concerned agencies as end users and also because they have the experience, expertise, and authority to make the necessary determinations,” Ambassador Sorreta clarified.

The briefing was given by Mr. Arkadiy Privalov, Deputy CEO and Vice-President of Concern Kalashnikov. Concern Kalashnikov is the largest Russian manufacturing company that produces assault and sniper rifles, guided artillery projectiles and a wide range of precision weapons. The major part of its civilian products includes hunting shotguns, sporting rifles, various machines and tools. It is the flagship of the Russian small arms manufacturing sector, producing about 95% of all small arms in Russia and supplying to more than 27 countries around the world.

Ambassador Sorreta said that he took the opportunity to find out more about other aspects of Russian small arms sales to other countries. “I wanted to find out several things other than what items were available and their technical details,” the Ambassador said.

“I wanted information on whether Russian sales would include not only after sales service but also if Russia would support the Philippines’ own efforts to develop its small arms industry, as they have done in other countries that bought their weapons,” he added.

“I also inquired if Russian arms sales require the participation of middle men as this can inflate prices and be the possible source of corruption, as can be seen in some of the cases filed with the Ombudsman,” Ambassador Sorreta said, adding “there are also certain advantages to government-to-government sales, under our procurement law, particularly if there is an urgent need to source supplies.”

Ambassador Sorreta also discussed the issue of political or other conditionalities, saying “we discussed this important aspect of arms sales and came out with a clear understanding of our respective positions.”

According to the Ambassador, the issue of modes of financing were also discussed.  “In terms of financing and costs, I wanted to make sure that should we decide to proceed with any purchase, we would get better or at least equal terms compared to their arms sales to other developing countries,” he said. END