"BIA prevented arms export to Libya"

Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic says the export of arms from Serbia to Libya was prevented by the Security Information Agency (BIA). This, the minister said, happened as BIA suspects the mediator is a firm whose owner is on the UN black list, for whom an international arrest warrant has been issued. "BIA prevented arms export to Libya" Answering journalists’ questions about why the arms industry continues to wait for export licenses, Dinkic said that questions on the details should be directed to BIA. The Serbian intelligence agency blocked export worth USD 50mn from the Cacak Sloboda and Kragujevac Zastava Arms factories as it suspects the mediator was Melvale, a company registered to the Seychelles Islands and owned by Slobodan Tesic, says daily Blic. Tesic is, according to the newspaper, on the UN black list for illegal exports to Libya. The defense industry unions condemned the state’s refusal to issue export licenses to Sloboda and Zastava Arms for countries which are not sanctioned by international organizations. The Defense Ministry claims that in issuing arms export licenses it is "considering the influence of export contracts on Serbia's security". Since 2005, the Ministry for Economic and Regional Development has been responsible for issuing export licenses with consent from the Defense, Foreign and Interior ministries.

"BIA prevented arms export to Libya"

Answering journalists’ questions about why the arms industry continues to wait for export licenses, Dinkić said that questions on the details should be directed to BIA.

The Serbian intelligence agency blocked export worth USD 50mn from the Čačak Sloboda and Kragujevac Zastava Arms factories as it suspects the mediator was Melvale, a company registered to the Seychelles Islands and owned by Slobodan Tešić, says daily Blic.

Tešić is, according to the newspaper, on the UN black list for illegal exports to Libya.

The defense industry unions condemned the state’s refusal to issue export licenses to Sloboda and Zastava Arms for countries which are not sanctioned by international organizations.

The Defense Ministry claims that in issuing arms export licenses it is "considering the influence of export contracts on Serbia's security".

Since 2005, the Ministry for Economic and Regional Development has been responsible for issuing export licenses with consent from the Defense, Foreign and Interior ministries.