The Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zukan Helez, and ambassadors from twelve European, Asian, and African countries visited Goražde-based defense industry companies on Wednesday to learn about the capacities and products produced in this part of the country.
Among others, they visited UNIS Ginex and AC Unity, which are recording excellent results and are among the most successful companies in the region in the field of ammunition and infantry weapons production.
The management of UNIS Ginex discussed the possibilities of cooperation with the countries whose diplomats arrived for the visit.
The company’s director, Dženana Turković, expressed her pleasure at having the opportunity to host a delegation of high-ranking officials led by Minister Helez and ambassadors from twelve countries.
“This visit is a strong confirmation of the importance that Ginex has, not only in the economy of BiH, but also internationally. We are grateful to Minister Helez for recognizing the importance of our work and enabling our guests to see for themselves the capacities, technology, and quality of the products we develop. I believe that this visit will further strengthen cooperation and open the door to new partnerships,” said Turković.
At the company AC Unity, which manufactures pistols and rifles, the guests had the opportunity to see and test the latest achievements of BiH weapons production, including models that have become widely recognized on the world market, such as the AC ALFA SMG 9 rifle (9×19 mm) known as the “Goraždanka”, then the AC AR 15 Machine Gun (5.56 x45 mm) and the AC Fare Gun Cal 26.5 mm signal pistol, which is produced only in Europe by this company.
The AC Bekto 22 LR pistol also attracted special attention, which was presented at the Paris Arms Fair and more than 100,000 pieces have already been ordered, from Iceland and Greenland to the USA.
The owner and main author of the projects of this company, Režo Bekto, said that AC Unity can be proud of what it has achieved because from the idea to the realization of the product, everything is the work of domestic intelligence.
“I am honored by the arrival of such important guests, representatives of countries with which BiH fosters important diplomatic and economic relations. This is not only a great event for AC Unity, but also for Goražde, which has a lot to offer. Today, gathered ambassadors from all over the world and saw for themselves what we do and create with our own knowledge and strength,” said Bekto.
Mayor of Goražde Ernest Imamović and Minister of Defense Zukan Helez emphasized the importance of these visits in the context of the development of the defense industry.
“I chose Goražde because this city, its economy and infrastructure were destroyed in the war. I wanted to show the ambassadors how Goražde has grown and the economy has been rebuilt, so that today it has the best specialized industry in all of BiH. Recently, when I was in Washington, they emphasized two things when it comes to our economy that will raise all economic parameters. They predict a large growth of specialized industry, which will also improve the growth of other segments. Today, ambassadors from 12 countries are with me, we focused on countries whose markets are large, rich and powerful and are crying out for these products,” said Helez.
Ambassadors of Egypt, Qatar, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, the Czech Republic, Kuwait, Libya, Indonesia and Algeria, as well as military attaches and chargés d’affaires.
