31.03.2023.

Minister Vučević visits Prva Petoletka Ltd

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević visited today Prva Petoletka Ltd, a defence industry company based in Trstenik, where he met with the management and representatives of the local self-government, after which he took a tour of the production facilities.

Minister Vučević said that the meeting and the tour of Petoletka in Trstenik had convinced him that the government’s decision to continue investing and providing support to the Serbian defence industry factories proved to be right.

- I have understood the most important information, messages and challenges that the company manager, Anđelka, has shared with us. I had already known some of it, but I have also heard, learned and understood something new. We have also brought them some good news from the Government of the Republic of Serbia, i.e. the Ministry of Defence. Namely, by the decision of the President of the Republic, the state will subcontract Petoletka to manufacture two or even three-years’ worth of products as part of the project to arm and equip the Serbian Armed Forces, but also of the project to strengthen all the companies belonging to the defence industry – said Minister Vučević.

This means, the minister said, that the state will be the buyer of Petoletka’s entire production output in the next two or three years.

- This guarantees certainty for the factory’s business, but also job security and secure income for employees. I think it is important that the president of the municipality of Trstenik, Mrs. Turk, is here today, because Petoletka cannot be perceived only as a simple economy, it has a broader social importance in this municipality, this district, this region. Everyone needs to understand this, no matter which part of Serbia they live in or whether they come from the government or some other sector - stressed Minister Vučević.

He said that today they had discussed how to help this factory to improve its business.

- We expect that, together with her team and employees, Anđelka will execute and fulfil all the contracts that the government awards to her factory. It is not simple, it does not depend only on Petoletka, to be fair, there are other subcontractors or companies that are involved in the production of complex combat systems, but Petoletka has a large share of the responsibility – said Minister Vučević.

According to the Minister of Defence, this does not mean wasting the taxpayers’ money, but entering into concrete agreements that would help Petoletka do business and manufacture necessary products.

- So that Petoletka can live, work, produce, and earn, so that workers can receive salaries. But Petoletka must meet the agreed deadlines and ensure certainty of production - stressed Minister Vučević and once again emphasized the importance of today’s meeting which reviewed Petoletka’s business operations and its importance for the development of the municipality of Trstenik.

The general manager of Prva Petoletka Ltd, Anđelka Atanasković, thanked Minister Vučević for his visit, adding that today's meeting was extremely useful. She said that the importance of defence industry for the defence system was great and that the funds that the government and the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, allocate to this company would be put to good use.

The president of the municipality of Trstenik, Milena Turk, said that the visit from the Minister of Defence to the defence industry factory was of great importance for the municipality.

- For us, this factory is a symbol of recovery, a symbol of profitable, responsible business and is an indicator suggesting that, with good cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and the Government of the Republic of Serbia, it is really possible to go from a money losing company to a factory that is a leader in the region and a driving force in the municipality of Trstenik, and in the entire Rasina District, and we are really proud of that - said the president of the municipality of Trstenik.

As part of his visit, Minister Vučević took a tour of the production facilities where a part of the factory’s production program was presented to him, including mortars, hand grenade launchers, hand rocket launchers and aircraft components.

Minister Vučević was accompanied on his tour by State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Mile Jelić, Assistant Minister of Defence for Material Resources Nenad Miloradović, PhD, and the chairman of the Municipal Assembly of Trstenik, Gerasim Atanasković.