14.03.2011
India heads the world's five arms importers as of 2006-2010, reports Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) publishing regular summary on conventional arms deliveries.
The institute data base envelops the period since 1950; describing trends in international arms deliveries, SIPRI experts operate average numbers of 5-year periods.
According to SIPRI, in 2006-2010 inclusively India had imported 9 per cent of arms deliveries worldwide.
SIPRI experts named Russia the largest arms supplier to India; its portion in Indian import made 82% in the mentioned period.
Generally, Asian countries dominate in the list. China follows India with 6 per cent of world's arms deliveries. According to the previous SIPRI rating published last year and covering the period of 2005-2009, China ranked first with 9% of global deliveries.
Speaking of China's largest arms supplier, SIPRI experts also names Russia which portion in Chinese arms imports was 84 per cent in 2006-2010.
South Korea holds the third position and is followed by Pakistan. Greece closes the top-five list.
Commenting the presented report, SIPRI expert in arms deliveries Simon Wezeman pointed out that the growth of India's conventional arms import has a number of reasons.
Among the most frequently mentioned of them are competition with Pakistan and China, and issues of internal security", said the expert.
Publishing their analysis, SIPRI experts say the situation in the most arms-taking regions remain relatively stable for the recent ten years. Asia and Oceania are the leading arms importing regions in 2006-2010 with 43% of global deliveries. Then come Europe (21%), Middle East (17%), Americas (12%), and Africa (7%).
Pursuant to the SIPRI rating, top five arms exporters also remain the same. The U.S. heads the list as well as in the past year. Portion of this country in the world's export has not changed much comparing to the last year and makes 30% in 2006-2010. Russia comes second with 23% of global arms exports (24% in 2005-2009).
The next is Germany (11%), France (7%), and the UK (4%).
Information published today is part of the work being prepared for publication in
SIPRI Yearbook 2011 which will be issued in June 2011.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) was established in 1966 in honor of 150th anniversary of peace in Swedish land.
