Russia stops arms sales to Libya

Russia,a key arms exporter to the Middle East,announced on Thursday it was banning the sale of all weapons to Libya,in line with its support of UN sanctions against Muammar Gaddafis regime.

President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree banning the “export,sale and delivery to Libya… of all kinds of weapons and associated materials,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

The move came after Russia joined other UN Security Council permanent members in ordering an arms embargo against Libya and other sanctions against the Gaddafi family.

But there has been concern in the Russian arms export industry about the impact of the ban,which its state arms exporter Rosoboron export says could cost the country $4 billion in arms exports.