United States and Saudi Arabia are now leading importers of Romanian-produced weapons and military equipment
BUCHAREST, Jan. 7, 2017 — The United States and Saudi Arabia have emerged as leading importers of Romanian-produced weapons and other military equipment.
According to a report published in Romania Insider in the first nine months of 2016, the U.S. imported weapons and military equipment produced in Romania worth over EUR 51 million. This represented almost 40% of Romania’s total exports of weapons and military equipment.
Quoting a local news from Mediafax it was reported that “in total, Romania exported weapons and military equipment of over EUR 130 million in the first nine months of last year.”
The United States Americans bought 3,100 guns, 8,150 assault rifles, 766 light machine guns as well as other products made in Romania.
According to data from the Department for the Exports’ Control within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the same period, Romania exported military equipment worth EUR 19.2 million to Saudi Arabia, the country’s second most important partner on this segment
Romania’s third important customer is Israel, which acquired military equipment and weapons of over EUR 12 million between January and September last year. Bulgaria came next, with imports of over EUR 12 million from Romania.
An investigation by Balkan Insight from July last year showed that countries in the Central and Eastern Europe, including Romania, have exported weapons of EUR 1.2 billion to the Middle East since 2012. Many of them reached Saudi Arabia. However, experts showed that in most cases the final destination was Syria.