President Milanović in Slavonski Brod: Đuro Đaković Company is important for Croatian military and economy
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović visited today the Đuro Đaković Special Vehicles Company in Slavonski Brod, currently the only manufacturer of armoured fighting vehicles in Croatia.
“This is important for the Croatian military and the Croatian economy. This knowledge is hard to acquire and easy to lose. I am glad that the new owners are here, that they are investing and that production is continuing,” President Milanović told reporters after meeting with the company’s management and touring the production line.
Speaking of US-made Bradley Fighting Vehicles, which will be modernised by Đuro Đaković, President Milanović said it was hard to understand why it had taken Croatia so long to decide and accept this offer. “Now this process is running its course and that’s good,” he underscored.
“The project with the Bradleys must be well-negotiated. This is a matter for the management. They must know what they are doing and they must know the processes and labour costs, who they have available and whether these people are capable of doing the job. These people are capable of doing the job, that’s for sure. They did not lose some of their knowledge. They had failed before because of the laziness and corruption of the political management, and someone should answer for that,” said President Milanović, replying to a journalist’s question on whether he got the impression that Đuro Đaković would be successfully restructured and whether the Bradley project would help.
During his visit to the Đuro Đaković Special Vehicles Company, which is part of the Đuro Đaković Group, President Milanović held a meeting with the Management Board and toured the company’s production line. At the meeting, company executives, headed by the President of the Group’s Management Board Hrvoje Kekez, presented the company’s main programmes, current activities and planned projects, with emphasis on its military programme.
Attending the meeting and touring the production facilities with President Milanović apart from the President of the Group’s Management Board Hrvoje Kekez were the following persons: CE Industries representative Marko Ćosić; member of the Group’s Management Board Pavel Maroušek; Head of Human Resources Helena Buljan; Head of Marketing Sandra Veinberger Alić; President of the Đuro Đaković Special Vehicles Management Board Danijel Marić; member of the Đuro Đaković Special Vehicles Management Board Goran Matanić.
The Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Siniša Jurković, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Defence and National Security Dragan Lozančić and Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for the Economy Velibor Mačkić visited the joint stock company Đuro Đaković Special Vehicles alongside President Milanović.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta