04.09.2017.
New markets for Serbian defence industry
Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin has met today in Astana with Minister of Defence and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, Beibut Atamkulov, with whom he discussed the possibilities of cooperation in the field of defence industry of the two countries.
Previous visit by the President of the Republic Aleksandar Vučić contributed to greater efficiency and specification of the project, Minister Vulin said, adding:
- With Minister Atamkulov we have already agreed the exchange of expert delegations to start cooperation on specific projects of modernization of certain air defence systems, but also the technology transfer. The Kazakh colleagues are very much interested in cooperation with our companies: Yugoimport, Milan Blagojević, Krušik. They are also interested in cooperation with our Yumco. So, there is room for the entire range of our products, and certainly for our expertise, not only the production, but also the technology transfer, that is what our experts, our engineers can show here and transfer here, Minister Vulin said.
He added that this will be an important incentive for our defence industry and that it now depends only on us whether we will be capable of taking advantage of the political impulse we have received.
- The door to Kazakhstan is certainly open to us, the politics has opened it, and now it is up to businesses and the profession to use that opportunity, Vulin said.
Speaking about our defence industry, Vulin said that the Serbian government invested 50 million euros in the defence industry for the first time in history and that it was the first significant investment ever since the defence industry of Serbia exists.
- Our companies are liquid, our companies have opportunity to work, and now here in Kazakhstan they also have the market. Kazakhstan is our entry ticket for the Central Asian market with 60 million inhabitants and it is much more interesting for our industry because these are rich countries that wish to develop their armies and to invest in their defence industries. This is our opportunity and we can really use it, Minister Vulin pointed out.
Expressing his satisfaction with the visit to the international exhibition EXPO 2017, at the end of the meeting, Minister Vulin invited those interested among the Kazakh companies to invest to Serbia for mutual benefit.
The delegation of the Ministry of Defence has visited today a part of factories of the defence industry of Kazakhstan, the companies "Kazakhstan Aselsan Engineering", "Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering".
