29.12.2012.

Ministers Vucic and Dinkic opened factory of complexed combat systems

First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Minister of Finance and Economy Mladjan Dinkic opened a factory for the production of complex combat system in Velika Plana on Saturday, 29 December 2012.

Speaking about the importance of production units "Morava" Combat System of Serbia within the company Jugoimport SDPR, Minister Vucic said that it has 83 workers currently employed, mostly mechanical engineers, which is important for the whole region.

- The biggest task of this government, and any future government for that matter, will be providing jobs for people. We have shown that it can be done with its own resources alone and intelligence therefore I am very much grateful to Ministers Dinkic and Ljajic, who in every place in the world and here at home, are not only trying to help, but also talk with everyone trying to find ways to sell our armaments and military equipment, and how to employ more people – as Minister Vucic remarked, adding that one batch of logistics vehicles is already being shipped to Kenya, which is already using our new systems.

Minister has also announced the signing of a new, big contract which envisions producing new defense technology; it is one of the greatest contracts our country has signed so far. On this occasion he expressed his hope that this would help this part of our defence industry, which is in a rather bad situation, find a cure, while also hoping that defence industry would as of end of 2013 in years to come would be the main engine of our industry.

- In the second stage, we expect to have a total of 192 workers employed here by September, while the third stage of development of this factory is also in the plans – as Minister Vucic stated, adding that the developing science and employing domestic experts, while earning in foreign markets, is what should be the ideal of the Serbian Army in the future.

The intention is, as it was underlined by the Minister Vucic, to employ local economy with the intention for our workers to get jobs with revenues from the factory to remain in our country.

According to minister Dinkic, the government of our country will invest further in the defense industry because arms produced here are designed by our top engineers, while at the same time hiring a number of subcontractors, in the case of this factory as many as 30.

- I think the defense industry, certainly, has a great export opportunity for the entire Serbian industry, therefore I firmly believe that the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Defense will support this and other similar projects as Minister Dinkic remarked, announcing a new contract as early as next year.

Acting Director of the state-owned

company Jugoimport SDPR, Jugoslav Petkovic, said that this prves to be a fulfillment of what Minister Vucic had said about the Serbian defense industry, that it has a an enormous export potential and can become an important part of the local economy to increase employment by creating new jobs. He also expressed confidence that the production facility "Morava" as part of Jugoimport SDPR was be very important for the Ministry of Defense, the defense industry and the economy of our country as a whole.

The opening ceremony was attended by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of foreign and domestic trade and telecommunications Rasim Ljajic, the SAF Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Ljubisa Dikovic, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Zoran Djordjevic, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.