15.08.2020.
Minister Vulin: Serbian defence industry is under attacks because it presents serious competition to everyone
- Serbian defence industry manages to find space in the world markets, which is very important for us. It manages to arm and procure for our armed forces, but at our prices. Things that we buy from Serbian defence industry are paid at one price, while we export them at the other price and it is always far more expensive when we export, and it would be much more expensive if we bought such assets on the world market. The reason why the Serbian Armed Forces can be equipped so quickly is the fact that we have preserved our defence industry – Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin underscored appearing in breakfast television programme at Happy TV station.
According to him, in 2012, when Aleksandar Vučić became minister of defence, Serbian defence industry had already been forgotten, but today it is an industry with 17,000 employees.
Minister Vulin said that whoever possesses defence industry, he sells ammunition, and weapons and he fights on the world marked to be the one from whom you will buy those products.
- It is interesting that no defence industry suffers so many attacks like Serbian industry does – the minister of defence stressed adding that the Bulgarians sell mortar grenades, ammunition, rifles, on the same markets where we do, and no one attacks them for that, but Serbian defence industry is suffering attacks because it represents serious competition to everyone.
Minister Vulin stressed that we had information that the markets where we had sold our products turned to Bulgaria because they said “you disclose our classified documents, you publish contracts that should not be made public, you attack us, and you constantly say the worst things about us. Why do you expect us to continue our business with you? We will go where it is safe and secure”.
He reminded that 17,000 people in defence industry “have their daily bread out of that business” and he noted that “none of those who attack defence industry will face the workers and explain to them why they lost their jobs and why there are no salaries. Instead, they will continue doing what they do until defence industry is destroyed, and then they will come in front of the Presidency and say “Vučić, why don’t you provide salaries for the workers in defence industry”?
Minister Vulin reminded that the workers of defence industry did address the public by a very important letter in which they underlined: “We work in accordance with the Law. When the United Nations impose sanctions we do not sell to anyone. Until the United Nations impose the sanctions, it is a market like any other where all countries appear. We will honour every decision of our state, but if politics should make decision, and if lobbies should make decisions we will lose our sustenance. We have gotten used to being tripped by someone from abroad, and that is normal, fight on the market, competition, but being tripped in one’s own country – that is something that is not done in any other country” the minister of defence said.
- President Vučić fights for survival of Serbian defence industry, and that is why it did survive. Someone, more susceptible to political pressures and incessant attacks would have already given up and said “close it, why should I have such problems?” But no, he will not close it, and 17,000 people will have their bread and that is what we are fighting for – Minister Vulin emphasised.
