MOSCOW, Jan. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian exports of weapons totaled 6 billion U.S. dollars in 2005, rising by a half billion dollars from the previous year, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Wednesday.

    Ivanov, who is also deputy prime minister, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as telling President Vladimir Putin that while export volume increased, the geography of Russian arms exports arms also expanded.

    "We are now involved in military technological cooperation with 82 states," he said.

    Several large contracts were signed in December, bringing the total contract portfolio to 22 billion dollars for the next few years, Ivanov said.

    India is a major buyer of Russian arms, receiving about 40 percent of its exports.

    In November, Russia cut a 1-billion-dollar deal with Iran to supply it with Tor-M1 short-range missiles. Enditem