A Russian SU-35 performs during the MAKS-2013 international aviation and space show in the city of Zhukovsky near Moscow, Russia, Aug. 27, 2013. (Xinhua/Shen Jinke)

MOSCOW, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that his country signed arms and military equipment export contracts worth more than 16 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, almost doubling from the previous year.

"Now the portfolio of foreign orders for Russian arms and military equipment is more than 45 billion U.S. dollars," Putin said at a meeting of the commission on military-technical cooperation of Russia with foreign countries, according to a Kremlin press release.

This means that the Russian defense industry will have enough orders for several years to come, he said.

Putin said that Russia is conducting military-technical cooperation with more countries and the number of its partners now exceeds 100.

He said Russia, a leading supplier in the world arms market, will continue to actively expand cooperation with all interested countries.