23.03.2012.

Minister visits RTB Bor

Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac visited the Bor mining concern and met with the CEO Blagoje Spaskovski. This visit to the company is significant because of the cooperation between RTB Bor with military and commercial sectors.

Defence Minister discussed with the representatives of RTB Bor the possibility of constructing prefabricated housing units for the company in the "Belgrade" Military Construction timber plant in Sabac produce as well as about the possibility of using military facilities in Bor, envisioned in the MoD Master Plan Real Estate Sale to build the Center for hyperactive and autistic children.

On that occasion, Sutanovac said that the RTB Bor is a typical example of how with the help of the Serbian government and the good work of the management company a ruined company can be restored to world markets and provide jobs for the 5000 people, the number of workers in the company.

"About 700 people are employed in the past, and new jobs are planned for the future. New ore sites have been discovered that will allow mining for many years and that citizens have a job in Bor. What makes me particularly happy is the fact that the professions related to engineering which had not been on offer have been restored yet represent the future of every country, "said the minister.

He said there was no strong defense without a strong economy. "In Uzice we heard yesterday that the factory" Prvi partizan Užice " had in the last year alone exported 43 million USD, and that this year exported it had some 60 million dollar worth of exports," said the minister adding that each plant affects the Army of Serbia because it provides a stable state.

He also added that there was an interest in military real estate in the city of Bor that are not promising. "I am glad that there is an initiative to build a center for autistic and hyperactive children. Furthermore, the Home for pensioners, which will be build in Bor, is a good example for us in the Ministry of Defence. Let me remind you that throughout Serbia there are a number of vacant barracks and that we believe they could become centers for our retirees, "noted the minister.

At the end of his address Sutanovac said that we should give support to those who want to work, and that Bor is now back on the map of those cities from which young people do not want to go and where people have good prospects of employment.

CEO of RTB Bor said that minister Sutanovac had accepted with great enthusiasm the proposal to build a Centre for autistic and hyperactive children.

"The minister himself had proposed to transform those obsolete and unpromising military facilities into institutions where children, especially children with special needs, can call a home. And so today we are starting talks in order to realize this plan, "said Spaskovski.

As the sole producer of copper in Serbia, RTB Bor is an important strategic partner for the defense system. Copper extraction and production has been done for over a century in the localities Bor and Majdanpek.

At the invitation of RTB Bor, Sutanovac opened the construction of the Pensioners’ Home for pensioners and other senior citizens in Bor, a town with the population over 14 thousand pensioners.

Answers to reporters’ questions

When asked what to do to make defense better, Sutanovac said that the reform carried out in the Ministry of Defence has reached a maximum, and that now we must rely on the economy because only good economy means modernization of the army which requires necessary funds.

- Defense industry factories made record exports and six factories in the previous year alone exported some 150 million dollars, a remarkable achievement, as only eight thousand people work in these factories. In the past four years we have made a 1 billion worth of exports, we have signed 650 million dollar worth contracts, which is a big boost for the defense system and our society as a whole, the minister said, noting that Bor has become one of the vital points of the Serbian economy.

Responding to questions about unpromising military facilities, Sutanovac noted that the Ministry of Defence had exchanged real estate with many local governments, primarily for residential units, and in some municipalities for money.

- We can also at an adequate price exchange property with the city of Bor, or directly with RTB Bor, and thus one of the unpromising barracks put into the service of citizens. Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Army primarily exist for state and citizens, and find interest in it to help wherever we can, said Minister of Defence.

As for the recently obtained status for EU membership and the influence of that decision to the military strategic position in Europe, the Minister emphasized yesterday that the defense ministers of all EU countries voted that Serbia should start negotiations with the European Defence Agency, which has large funds for research and development of arms and military equipment.

- It is our desire that as soon as possible we bring these negotiations to the end and that the Serbian Army as takes the first step towards European institutions, which is an indication that we have carried out reforms in a way that recognizes the best European standards, said Sutanovac.

Asked whether the military would remain neutral after the elections, Sutanovac said that this was not the key issue, but that the most important thing was for the society and military to remain stable, to have good relations in the region while also to meet out main needs and get the most out of cooperation within the framework of Partnership for Peace.

-Let me remind you that our foreign policy priority of the European Union and we are proud that the Serbian Army was the first to enter European institutions. A few days ago General Djukanovic became the first officer of the Army of Serbia, who spoke at the Defense Committee of the European Union and thus began a new era in relations between Serbia and the European Union, said Minister of Defence.

When it comes to cooperation of RTB Bor with defense industry factories in Serbia Sutanovac announced that in consultation with the directors of these factories it was agreed that it would be in the best interest of the state and the system to buy raw materials from local producers, noting that Bor has a much brighter future than it can be seen at the moment.