Local Editor
The Serbian Trade Ministry said on Tuesday that it not issued a single permit for the export of weapons, military equipment and dual purpose goods to Yemen, denying reports of Serbian-made munitions being supplied to Islamic extremists in that country.
Former Foreign Minister turned opposition leader Vuk Jeremic told N1 on Monday that documents had surfaced showing that Serbian-made munitions had been sent to Yemen and that the father of Internal Affairs Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic was implicated. The report and documents were published by the Arms Watch web site which said later in the day that it had come under DDOS attack from Serbia and blocked access to the site. Jeremic’s claims were denied within hours by the Defense Ministry.
The Trade Ministry said in its statement that no export permits were issued for any country which was under international sanctions. “All destinations for Serbian weapons and military equipment are listed in the annual export and import reports which are available on the ministry web site. It added that Serbia has been ranked among the top five countries on the transparency barometer drawn up by the Small Arms Survey organization in Geneva.
“Serbia as one of the biggest producers and exporters of arms and military equipment in the region can in no way bear the responsibility for what the final destination countries are going to do with the goods they import,” the statement said.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
