President Milanović in Brodosplit Shipyard: Good that Construction of Coastal Patrol Boats is Continuing

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović visited the Brodosplit Shipyard, where he toured the special steel constructions production line and the patrol boat production line. The President of the Management Board of Brodosplit Tomislav Debeljak and Board Member Tomislav Čorak informed President Milanović about the ongoing projects, especially the construction of coastal patrol boats for the Ministry of Defense, which is now continuing.

After touring the shipyard, President Milanović told reporters he was pleased with what he saw. “Impressions are good because the shipyard is working. It went through restructuring, the state had a role to play there and it ended many years ago. They started working and are profitable. I am glad that an order from the Croatian Government following a tender is a part of that program, and it includes coast guard ships, one of which has already set sail, the “Omiš”. Two are currently under construction and one should be finished by the end of 2021, the other after that and then two more every six months,” said President Milanović, expressing satisfaction that this is a job that was concluded in 2015. “I was there to lay the keel for the first ship, the “Omiš”, which is now sailing. So, we do have some continuity as a state and as a government, and maybe there will be room for international markets as well,” the President said.

“This company has already exceeded expectations that were pessimistic and even malicious. I am glad this is surviving. Unfortunately, not everyone will, but we have several shipyards in Croatia. There are slightly fewer people working here today than ten years ago, but everyone is working. This is now a better organized production process,” answered President Milanović when asked by journalists to comment on the doubts that existed when the company DIV took over the shipyard.

“You need to be aggressive and present. There are a number of countries that need such products and that need to procure such ships. There is space, these are very high quality products and they are cheaper than others that were bought by some Mediterranean countries in northern Europe,” concluded President Milanović. The Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Admiral Robert Hranj and the Commander of the Croatian Navy Rear Admiral Ivo Raffanelli joined President Milanović on his visit to Brodosplit Shipyard’s special steel constructions production line and the patrol boat production line.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan