Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia
 
10.03.2009.

Ilija Pilipovic for Beta



Assistant Minister Ilija PIlipovic rejected all claims that the ministry has been refusing for months now to issue permits to “Zastava” arms factory and “Sloboda” to export products to Libya, Cameroon, Pakistan and Montenegro.

In his statement to Beta news agency, Pilipovic said that “there was no such thing as a monopole in the export business of weapons”, estimating that MoD favoured Yugoimport SDPR were unsubstantiated.
In last year alone, MoD issued a total of 367 permits to companies, 42 of which were issued to this firm.

He added that as of 2005, the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development has been the authorized to issue export permits with the approval of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign and with the opinion of the Police.

Pilipovic also said that MoD had introduced M-21 into the arms arsenal of Serbia and had bought 160 pieces of this gun which was the best reference for Zastava arms factory in order to raise the market value of its products and to boos exports.

According to him, Zastava has incurred debts towards SAF.

Pilipovic also stated that the Ministry had noticed the lack of involvement of the members of the managing board of Zastava and other factories of defense industry which was it had initiated procedure to change the memerbs of managing boards.

His comment regarding the resignation of a member of the managing board of Zastava arms, Veljko Kadijevic , Pilipovic retorted with a question” what is Veljko Kadiejvic doing in the managing board of Zastava factory and whose interests does he represent”, stating that Kadiejvic was the exponent of Mile Dragic,t hwo owner of the company for production of the military equipment.
 
MOD
Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia, Bircaninova 5 street, Belgrade
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