Premier's trip to Far East will have arms trade high on the agenda

During his visit to Singapore and India, due to begin on February 14, Prime Minister Leszek Miller will be promoting the Polish arms industry which is looking for new export markets. The annual value of arms exports is difficult to assess, but it is estimated to be well below $100 million. The export market is switching from the Middle East to the Far East. India is at the top of the new list of prospective strategic partners. The Indian Army has already signed a contract with Warsaw-based PCO to modernize the fire control system in 250 of its tanks, and has purchased various military support vehicles for $70 million from Bumar-Labedy. Indonesia is also shaping up as a promising market for Polish arms. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B4) K.Z.