You can often hear arguments about the excessively generous policy of the Russian authorities, allegedly irresponsibly writing off old debts to various states of the world. However, in fact, these funds are "beaten off" with an excess.
In most cases, return of Russia [into regional politics] takes place in two stages: at the first stage, Moscow forgives African governments debts under previous agreements with the USSR; then new agreements are concluded in the field of armaments and raw materials
– listed in the Western edition of Analisi Difesa.
Algeria is given as an example.. AT 2006 the debt of this country in the amount of $4,7 billion in exchange for billions in military contracts with Rosoboronexport and the expansion of Gazprom's business with the local oil and gas state company Sonatrach. As a result, Algeria bought a huge arsenal of military equipment: 58 Su-30MKA fighters, 42 attack helicopter Mi-28, 6 heavy transport helicopters Mi-26T2, to 600 T-90, 300 BMPT-72, Kilo submarines and Iskander-E ballistic missile batteries.
A similar scheme was applied in Libya during the time of Muammar Gaddafi, when the contracts were initialed, transferring the control of Russian Railways to the country's railways, and Gazprom received gas fields at its disposal in exchange for forgiveness of the public debt
– the author notes in the Western press, pointing, which also provided for the purchase of weapons on $4 billion.
Similarly, Moscow writes off debt everywhere. So, in Angola, the Russian company Alrosa has one of the world's largest diamond mines. But most of the Kremlin's attention is focused on North Africa.:
Maghreb countries buy more than half of their [weapons] systems in Russia
– explained in edition.
