site.btaPlant for Assembling Israeli-made Drones Opens in Serbia

A factory for assembling drones manufactured in Israel opened in Serbia, local media reported on Thursday.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who attended the opening, wrote on his Instagram account: "This morning I was particularly proud of Serbia and its achievements. I opened a factory for assembling the most advanced drones manufactured in Israel, which will employ around 100 people and produce state-of-the-art equipment both for the Serbian army and the armed forces of some other countries. Our plans are huge."

Vucic said he believes that at least three more factories will be built in Serbia in cooperation with Israeli partners.

In April, it was announced that Serbia had reached an agreement to manufacture drones on its territory with Israeli defence giant Elbit Systems, a company that has faced criticism for years over its role in Israeli military operations in Gaza and the West Bank, the media reported.

Elbit Systems will hold a 51% stake in the drone factory, while Serbian company Jugoimport SDPR will own the remaining 49%.