Venezuela to Purchase 100,000 Kalashnikovs From Russia

Venezuela signed an agreement with Russia to purchase 100,000 Russian-made Kalashnikov AK-103 assault-rifles. The news was reported by the country’s Defense Minister Jorge Garcia Carneiro, who was quoted by the Xinhua agency.

The initial payment of $27 million will cover half of the contract, he said.

The first batch of 28,000 rifles, which cost $386.22 each, will arrive in Venezuela in October, and the remainder will be delivered in two separate batches in December and March 2006, the minister said. The contract includes a commercial offer by Russia to help build a factory to produce the assault rifle in Venezuela, he added.

It is also planned that 45 Venezuelan arms experts will undergo training in Russia on the production of the assault rifles.