MOSCOW, July 21 (RAPSI) – The State Duma has adopted in the third and final reading a bill promoting opportunities to export civilian and service weapons on the part of Russian manufacturers, the lower house of the Russian parliament informs on Friday.

According to Vladimir Gutenev, the lawmaker behind the initiative, the perfecting of the rules governing exports of civilian and service weapons is of prime importance in the context of sectoral sanctions the U.S., EU, and a number of countries have introduced against Russia. For instance, the MP says, Kalashnikov Group, the largest Russian small firearms manufacturer, has experienced significant problems when exporting its production abroad.

The new legislation, Gutenev stresses, will assist the national arms manufacturers to promote their products via established commercial relations, and meet expectations of foreign customers aiming to make mixed contracts for both military and non-military products. Besides, the lawmaker notes, the law is intended to facilitate production of civilian and service weapons by enterprises in the defense sector.

Overall, the document will settle a conflict of laws on weapons and military-technical assistance and harmonize the legal framework regulating imports and exports of small combat firearms and cold arms.