02.02.2015.

Meeting of Minister of Defence with directors of defence industry companies

Minister of Defence Bratislav Gasic met today with directors of companies of the defence industry of Serbia. The topics of the meeting were investment projects in the next period.

During the meeting break, Minister Gasic spoke to the media, saying that the goal of the Government of Serbia is to invest means in factories of special purpose industry in order to achieve a good technological level – guarantee of stable placing in the future. He reminded of the meeting with the directors of special purpose industry held on January 8, when the overall agreement was achieved on investment programs in special purpose factories which “did not go as planned because the directors and their teams focused on bringing the special purpose industry back to its level in 1998.”

- The Government’s goal is not to invest significant means in special purpose factories in order to bring them back to the technological level of several years ago, but to reach a new level that can guarantee its stable position in five years. We should also consider whether these projects, which would enable special purpose companies to apply for means from the republic budget, guarantee the technological level that can secure significant results – Minister of Defence said, adding that the workgroup has visited all the factories, overviewed the projects, and that this is why negotiations are being made in order to reach a higher technological level.

Minister also spoke about concrete projects – beginning of technological testing of multipurpose combat infantry vehicle “Lazar”, future investing in purchasing new equipment, possibility of “Morava” missile launcher entering serial production, and others.

Head of Department for Defence technology Major General Bojan Zrnic stated that all companies of the special purpose industry conduct positive business, in that “they regularly service their commitments to their employees and the state from their current business”.

- Currently, we are in the process of conversion that is to convert the leftover capital into state-owned. I expect that we will soon end a large package of debt conversion with the Electric Power Industry of Serbia and the Ministry of Energetics, because our companies have been in debt to the Electric Power Industry of Serbia for quite long – General Zrnic said.

The meeting was also attended by Secretary of State of the Ministry of Defence Zoran Djordjevic and Head of the General Staff of Serbia General Ljubisa Dikovic.