Partner 2023 international arms fair opens in Belgrade

BELGRADE - The Partner 2023 international arms fair opened in Belgrade on Monday, featuring 154 exhibitors from around the world.

"I believe that, in the days to come, we will be able to announce major contracts for our country and Serbia's defence industry," Defence Minister Milos Vucevic said at the opening of the fair.

"In the context of further arms acquisitions for the Serbian Armed Forces, I believe this will certainly make Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Gen (Milan) Mojsilovic, and our army as a whole, happy. The contracts are bigger than the ones we have had so far, and we have had serious contracts. We will also have major contracts for the Serbian defence industry with foreign buyers," Vucevic noted.

He said that would be an additional impetus to the overall environment in the Serbian defence industry and the country's economic progress.

He said hosting a fair like Partner 2023 best indicated the progress of the Serbian defence industry and the overall level of technology, science, skills, equipment and training in the armed forces and the country.

"It is, of course, also a confirmation of the good political and business relations with participant countries and companies coming from those countries. The fair features a record-high 154 exhibitors from all parts of the world, there are many European exhibitors and exhibitors from the region, and there is a very strong presence of companies from the People's Republic of China and some other countries we have decades-old cooperation or good relations with in this area," Vucevic said.

He said this year's fair was being attended by over 30 high-ranking foreign delegations and more than 7,000 industry professionals and visitors.