Meeting with Croatian manufacturers of military equipment and weaponry

The meeting attended nearly a hundred entrepreneurs who have been engaged in activities related to military industry. The meeting was also attended by the President of the Croatian Chamber of Economy Nadan Vidosevic, MOD State Secretary Mate Raboteg and other representatives of the Ministry of Defence and Croatian Armed Forces.
Ministers Bozinovic and Popijac expressed satisfaction with the meeting, emphasized the importance of the defence industry, and noted that the Ministry of Defence and other government departments could and should do even more for manufacturers of military equipment in order to be as successful in developing their capacities.
“The level of development of military industry in some way reflects the level of technological development of individual countries. There is success in this area, however, in that sense we can do more”, Minister Bozinovic said. He stressed that the Ministry of Defence would be more open to our manufacturers of military equipment and weaponry and would provide them with assistance and that MOD would be in continuous contact with them. “This meeting filled me with optimism and in part which is under competence of the Ministry of Defence I will give my best”, said Minister Bozinovic in a media statement. He also mentioned that we need open new markets and present better our products in the world, open the Croatian Armed Forces for those who have not yet managed to impose themselves as producers of military equipment for the CAF. He recalled that the Ministry of Defence was in the process of drafting a new Long-term Development Plan of the Croatian Armed Forces for the next decade. “On one side are our needs, but on the other we must see what are the potentials, opportunities and how to engage the Croatian industry. And this is our contribution to Croatian reindustrialization”, Minister of Defence said.
In the field of military industry in the past year the export amounted to 667 million kuna, which, as outlined, can and must increase.
“The programs proposed by the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior, and other sectors can be powerful levers to revitalize the Croatian industrial sector. There were representatives from industry with quality products, knowledge, that employ people, and are successful on international markets. Our task was to see what we as responsible ministers and the government as a whole should do in terms of regulation, and in support to be more successful in developing their own capacities”, Minister Djuro Popijac said.
Alojzije Sestan from Sestan-Busch Company also expressed his satisfaction with the meeting. He was particularly happy that Minister of Defence at the very beginning of his mandate met with the manufacturers of military equipment and weaponry. “This is the first time in my 15 year career, that the defence minister, who has not yet fully acquainted with his cabinet, invited hundred manufacturers of military equipment”, Sestan said. He added that every serious country has serious military production. “Croatia is a serious country and has a serious military production. But we need a general institutional support. We look forward to the fact that this industry will find a job here”, Sestan concluded.