vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #147 / Opinion / Reading article...

The recent military conversion exhibition in Vladivostok was surely a sign of change afoot: You can't argue that a nuclear submarine factory proffering sausages isn't trying to change its tune.
But it did seem that defense companies aren't ready for a true wave of conversion to break away from dependence on military rubles. And although it's easy to apply the "better late than never" truism, 1997 is a fairly late date for manufacturers only to begin thinking about entering new markets.

Vice Governor Konstantin Tolstoshein, a conference speaker, gave himself away on stage when he remarked that much of the products on display were poorly packaged and unattractive. It's admirable not to attempt to deceive one's customers, but then maybe it was too obvious to overlook. If the vendor can't take pride in what's for sale, there seems little reason to buy it. Or, at the very least, a wiser tactic might have been to point out the usefulness of the goods.

But that's the point. Tolstoshein didn't do much of that, and he's the head of the conversion program. Is this a sign that no one is really ready to be weaned from government support?

A comment he made later supports this hypothesis. In an interview, he emphasized that the companies are continuing to produce defense products and that other nations are very interested in them.

This leaves conference attendees, prospective non-defense customers and Primorye residents wondering: Was the event a conference on conversion - or a flea market?