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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Ladies and gentlemen, foreign guests,

I welcome you to the Army 2023 International Military Technical Forum.

Over the past years, the forum has rightfully earned high prestige and broad recognition. The event has become one of the world's largest venues for showcasing innovations and modern military products, has made a significant contribution to the development of military technical cooperation, and overall, to the expansion of Russia's multifaceted ties with foreign countries.

This time, the forum’s participants and guests – representatives of delegations from various countries – will benefit from its extensive and eventful programme.

The display stands, pavilions and ranges at the Patriot Park demonstrate over 28,500 samples of cutting-edge military and dual-use products supplied by 1,500 Russian defence industry enterprises.

Russia is open to deepening its technological partnerships and military-technical cooperation with other countries on equal terms, and to working with all those seeking to assert their national interests and independent development path, all countries that believe that working together to build an equal and indivisible security framework is essential as a reliable safeguard for every state.

We offer our partners a wide range of up-to-date weapons of almost all kinds and types. This includes the latest control systems, intelligence systems, high-precision weapons and robotics.

The discussions at the forum will particularly focus on unmanned aerial vehicles. This industry is growing fast today, both the military and the civilian segments. In fact, we are talking about creating a whole new science-intensive and high-tech industry.

We certainly suggest paying attention to the innovative and civilian products of our defence industry companies such as boats and helicopters, amphibians and drones for the widest range of applications.

I would also like to note that this year's business programme at the forum, which includes 250 events, focuses on the diversification of the defence industry and the development of artificial intelligence technology. Russia has something to offer in these promising ground-breaking areas. Every year, we see a growing market for AI-enabled products.

We are also pleased with more and more foreign defence companies joining the forum. Last year, 32 foreign participants exhibited their products here; this year, their number has grown to 82.

We intend to continue taking advantage of the already established cooperation ties as well as to create new ones based on many years of successful experience of mutually beneficial partnerships.

We propose developing cooperation in a variety of areas, including personnel training, training foreign military personnel and improving their qualifications, conducting joint command post and other joined exercises. And we expect that, as before, important agreements and export contracts will be signed on the sidelines of the forum.

Friends,

I am sure that this event will help strengthen military and military technical partnerships for the benefit of security and stability in the emerging multipolar world.

I wish you successful work and all the best.