26.03.2009.

Minister Sutanovac in Banjaluka

Minister of Defense Dragan Sutanovac spoke today in Banjaluka with President, Prime Minister and President of National Parliament of Republic of Srpska, Rajko Kuzmanovic, Milorad Dodik and Igor Radojcic respectively.

Minister Sutanovac and President Kuzmanovic discussed cooperation in the energy field, military industry and purchasing Bosnia and Herzegovina’s armaments surplus.

After the meeting held in the Presidency of Republika Srpska, Sutanovac said that he acquainted Kuzmanovic with Serbia’s interest to purchase certain amount of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s military properties surplus, but that he could not specify anything until the visit of delegation of Ministry of Defense which is to ascertain the functionality of arms.

Sutanovac emphasized that there was a possibility for a closer cooperation in the defense industry adding that he had been met understanding for that initiative during the meeting with Kuzmanovic.

Minister of Defense also informed the President of Republic of Srpska about the Serbia’s intention to form the Military University, which would include Military Medical Academy, Military Academy and Military Technical Institute, and emphasize that citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina could also have benefit from that idea.

Kuzmanovic said that he spoke with Sutanovac about realization of the Special Parallel Connection Agreement between Serbia and RS, how far Serbia and RS had come in EU integrations so far, and about the cooperation in energy sector.

He expressed his expectation that the question of purchasing military property surplus Serbia is interested in, would be resolved to the mutual satisfaction.
Minister Sutanovac spoke with Milorad Dodik, the Prime Minister of Republic of Srpska, about the mutual engagement of the defense industry potentials on production and exporting armament and military equipment.

After the meeting in the Government of Republic of Srpska, Sutanovac reminded that in 2008, Serbia exported a total of 400 million EURO worth of armaments, and that in this year the projected export is 500 million, with 51 million EURO worth of contracts already being signed.

Sutanovac said that he had had successful talks with Dodik considering the cooperation in that area, and that they agreed that there were many potentials which could be used to the benefit of both sides, such as educating cadets from RS at the Military Academy in Belgrade, medical treatments of citizens on Military Medical Academy or training of members of Serbian Army for peacekeeping operations in the training center on Butmir.

He announced that the expert delegation from the Serbian Ministry of Defense would soon visit Republic of Srpska so they could ascertain the potentials of military factories, and the condition of the arms and equipment for which Serbia is interested in.

Sutanovac said that 5 out of 6 factories of military industry in Serbia had already fully engaged their export capacities, which is why there is a great opportunity to enagage factories from RS in these activities.

Prime Minister Dodik said that majority of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s armaments, Serbia is interested in, was a property of Republic of Srpska, but that the “final address” was the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He added, nevertheless, that in case of the property sale, 80 percent of money would go to Republic of Srpska, and the rest to Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation.

Dodik denied all accusations made by the international community that his statements were slowing down the process of European Integrations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and reminded that even the former high representative Miroslav Lajcak has stated that the community in Bosnia and Herzegovina was irreversibly divided.

During the day, Sutanovac had also held talks with the President of RS Parliament Igor Radojcic, with whom he reviewed the possibility of engaging SAF members in peacekeeping operations.

Radojcic said that, following the example of international forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and possibly Croatia and Macedonia would be able to jointly participate in peacekeeping operations in the future, as that was in their common interest.

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