Russia plans to produce weapons jointly with the United Arab Emirates, said Igor Sevastyanov, deputy general director of Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state-run arms export monopoly, RIA Novosti reported.
“There is an idea of working in cooperation with the UAE to produce weapons," Sevastyanov said Wednesday.
The deputy added that the replacement of European components could take up to take a year.
“The replacement of the components that we purchase in Europe could take a year, maximum,” Sevastyanov said.
Following the crisis in Ukraine, Russia has been taking measures to replace imports from the crisis-torn country, including in the defense sector, in which several joint projects have been frozen.
The sanctions imposed by Western countries, including the European Union, have also forced Russia to look for substitutes in several other industries.