Four Countries in Serbia’s Neighborhood Join Procurement of Ammunition for Own Needs and for Ukraine

Belgraders Call for Peace in Ukraine (BETAPHOTO/AMIR HAMZAGIC)

Four countries in Serbia’s neighborhood have joined the EU program for procurement of artillery ammunition for their own needs and also for Ukraine, aimed at refilling stockpiles.

According to a March 28 article on portal Balkan Security Network, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, and Greece are the countries in the region which, within the European Defense Agency (EDA), have joined the project on collaborative procurement of ammunition for own needs and for Ukraine.

“The project worth more than EUR2 billion will facilitate faster procurement of 155 mm artillery ammunition over the next two years and of other types of ammunition over the next seven years,” it is said in the article. The project engages 23 countries, among which are also Austria, Belgium, Italy, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Spain, France, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, and Norway.

“The goal of European leaders’ plan is to provide Ukraine with the necessary artillery ammunition, while in parallel to quickly refill national stockpiles. It is believed that collaborative procurement of ammunition would stimulate manufacturers to increase production and lower prices. Collaborative procurement is the best option for reducing costs, while in parallel it will enable the member countries to buy ammunition according to their respective national needs and also to provide support to Ukraine,” according to the article.