28.03.2012.

Minister Sutanovac visited the international exhibition of commercial vehicles

Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac and Assistant Minister for Material Resources Ilija Pilipovi? with associates visited today the jubilee 50th international exhibition of commercial vehicles and related equipment BEOTRUCK 2012. On that occasion they visited the booths of two representatives of the local industry: FAP from Priboj and Zastava Trucks from Kragujevac.

Speaking about the acquisition in the Serbian Armed Forces, Minister Sutanovac stressed the importance of buying from local producers.

- Ministry of Defence had previously been purchased vehicles and trucks just from domestic production. The new uniform of the Serbian Armed Forces is also the product of the domestic company Jumko from Vranje – Minister Sutanovac pointed out, adding that so far several dozens of tracks from factory FAP have been purchased. He expressed the wish that Zastava Trucks develops a new vehicle that would have multiple capabilities. According to the Minister, the Military Technical Institute cooperates with the Zastava Trucks with the idea that such a product is local and that money spent on these resources remains in our country.

- This is a great stimulus for both Kragujevac and Priboj and the Serbian Armed Forces. The more money of our budget we spend in our country, the quicker the money will be returned and retained, and also people will be employed in these hard times – Minister Sutanovac said.

When it comes to FAP trucks which have been in the Serbian Armed Forces since last year, the Minister expressed his satisfaction because it is a domestic product.

- The factory was practically destroyed, but it was turned to operation and great part of Priboj lives on it. We wish in the future to continue to purchase domestic goods and participate in their improvement and development – Minister Sutanovac said expressing his satisfaction with the planning of platforms of products that already have their customers abroad, Nora, and Lazarus, and that for our purposes FAP is of quite high quality for the time being.

The Minister pointed out the problem of reduced budget of the Ministry of Defence, as he was aware that there was a need for more vehicles.

- We are trying to make that most of the products we use in the defence system are precisely those produced in Serbia, since Serbia only in the last year exported arms and military equipment 250 million dollars worth and there is no logic that we import what we have good and of high quality in our country – Minister Sutanovac concluded.

The Zastava Trucks Company from Kragujevac, at the Salon of commercial vehicles, presented a new off-road vehicle that meets the needs of fire and police units, forest holdings, utilities, and open pit mines, and then lifts Eurozeta and two models of the New Turbo Rival with a lift and extended cabin.

FAP from Priboj at the Salon of commercial vehicles presents truck shops FAP 1118 and FAP 1830, FAP 2640 tug and A-537.5 bus.

After visiting the booths of local producers, the Minister also visited the booths VOLVO, IVECO, SCANIA, Mercedes, where the hosts presented to him the characteristics and features of the exposed models.

In the oldest official international exhibition of commercial road vehicles in this part of Europe this year, 155 exhibitors from 20 countries presented their products. BEOTRUCK 2012 is one of 19 official trade shows from the OICA calendar which will be held in the world this year. At the Salon, the most modern commercial vehicles of a wide range of applications and their associated equipment were presented. The most successful exhibitors will receive the traditional Grand Prix awards in two categories – vehicles and related equipment and parts.