Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on defense-sector enterprises to increase manufacture of civilian products.
“Along with weapons, it is important to turn out civilian products. The output of such products should be expanded,” Putin said on Tuesday at a meeting with workers of Russia’s weapons concern Kalashnikov.
According to the Russian president, Russian defense-sector enterprises should manufacture such products that would enjoy demand after the state weapons program is implemented. He said it is a general world practice when defense-sector companies sell some of their products on civilian markets. In his words, Kalashnikov’s executives are aware of that and draw the company’s development plans accordingly.
Putin told the workers about his impressions from an excursion around Kalashnikov’s overhauled shops. “It is a museum of modern arts,” he said.
Apart from that, the Russian head of state used the opportunity to congratulate weapons makers on their professional holiday. “You marked your holiday yesterday [on Monday],” Putin said. “I would like to congratulate you and wish you the very good.”.