ARES Published a Policy Paper by BCSP Researcher

The Armament Industry European Research Group (ARES Group) published a policy paper titled “Defence Industrial Policy in Serbia: Drivers and Influence” authored by Belgrade Centre for Security Policy researcher Katarina Djokic.

The author deals with the issue where is currently the defence industry in Serbia, but also what are it’s prospects for the future. Djokic gives an overview of the relevant political context, describes the state of the industry and identifies key actors that influence Serbia's defence industry policy.

Djokic concludes that Serbia, which is at the same time a military neutral country and a candidate for EU membership, does not have a coherent policy or development programs for the defence industry. The Ministry of Defence controls large state-owned arms producers. These companies have serious financial problems, which the government is trying to solve with not completely transparent measures, and the new law on the armament production allows their partial privatization. In order to modernize production capabilities and increase investment in research and development, Serbia is striving for co-operation with the EU, but also with Russia, Belarus and the United Arab Emirates. The government needs to balance new investments with their priority – preserving jobs, concludes Djokic.

The publication is available here.