India to remain Russia's main weapons client

New Delhi: India will remain Russia's main arms export destination this year, said Mikhail Dmitriev, head of the Federal Service of Military and Technical Cooperation.

Russia will export more than $8 billion of arms this year, he told reporters in New Delhi on Friday.

The official, part of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's delegation, said this would be a new post-Soviet Union record for arms exports.

Aviation would make up the majority of exports, said Anatoly Isaikin, chief executive officer of Rosoboronexport, the state arms selling agent.

Russia and India haven't agreed on new conditions over the sale of the Russian aircraft carrier Gorshkov, Dmitriev said.

"There have been a lot of problems with that ship," he said. "Early next year, we should agree on all main issues."

He denied reports that India had agreed to pay an extra $1.2 billion for the carrier.