Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Minister of Defense Zukan Helez met today in Cairo with the Minister of Defense of the Arab Republic of Egypt, General Abdel-Mageed Saqr, which represents the first official meeting of the defense ministers of the two countries.
The visit to Egypt is being implemented at the invitation of the Egyptian Minister of Defense, Minister Helez.
They discussed key steps for establishing future bilateral military cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Egypt, as well as the potential for cooperation in the field of specialized industries of both countries.
In his address, Helez noted that the draft of the future agreement on bilateral cooperation between the Ministries of Defense of BiH and Egypt has passed the procedure of the Council of Ministers of BiH and is currently awaiting approval by the Presidency of BiH.
“There is a great will from the Egyptian Ministry of Defense to assist in the development and equipping of the Armed Forces of BiH. I hope that we will soon sign the Plan of Bilateral Military Cooperation and thus provide our cooperation with a legal framework that will enable the further development of the Armed Forces of BiH,” said Minister Helez.
“The Egyptian Military Academy is one of the most prestigious in the world. His colleague Abdel-Mageed Saqr promised to accept all candidates nominated by the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina for training. He also expressed his readiness to support the procurement of specialized vehicles with the latest NATO certificates, intended for the transport of dangerous explosive materials,” he added.
The Egyptian Minister of Defense expressed his satisfaction with the fact that the conditions are being created for much closer cooperation between Egypt and Bosnia and Herzegovina than they have been so far.
He spoke about the technological capabilities of his country, but also the possibilities of supporting the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the field of military education.
The interlocutors particularly addressed the possibilities of business cooperation between Egyptian and BiH defense industry companies.
To this end, after meeting with his Egyptian colleague, Minister Helez also met with the Director of the Egyptian Armaments Administration, Major General Tarek Abdel Aal, and visited the special vehicle production complex.
Helez emphasized as particularly important the fact that representatives of five BiH defense industry companies are also visiting Egypt, and they will also have the opportunity to discuss the modalities of business cooperation with Egyptian companies.
“Although the BiH Defense Ministry does not have direct jurisdiction over the defense industry, we are committed to facilitating their contacts with relevant partners. Egypt could serve as a strategic hub for the distribution of BiH defense industry products to the markets of Africa and the Arab world, while BiH can play such a role in the placement of Egyptian products on the markets of Europe,” stated Helez.
“We have already specified our talks today: representatives of the BiH defense industry will have a rented space of 300 m2 at the arms fair in Egypt, at the end of this year. Also, we expect a return visit from representatives of the Egyptian defense industry to Bosnia and Herzegovina next month.
This visit represents another important step in strengthening international partnerships and positioning BiH as a reliable partner on the global security scene. The Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina remains committed to building strong international relations in order to preserve peace, security and stability,” the Minister concluded.
According to the plan, Helez will continue his activities by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the mausoleum of former Egyptian President Mohamed Anwar El Sadat.
The first day of the official visit to Egypt, the Minister of Defense of BiH will end with an official banquet, hosted by the Egyptian Minister of Defense and Military Production, General Saqr, announced the Public Relations Office of the BiH Ministry of Defense.
