Saudi Arabia remains one of the main export destinations for weapons from the Balkans, with Afghanistan, Iraq and Algeria emerging as new key destinations, SEESAC report says.
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| Photo: EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT. |
A new SEESAC report reveals that Saudi Arabia remains one of the biggest buyers of obsolete arms from the Balkans, as other Middle Eastern markets become more interesting for arms dealers from the region.
The latest SEESAC document on yearly arms exports in 2016 for Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania and Macedonia says those countries sold Saudi Arabia more than 118 million euros worth of weapons and ammunition that year.
The South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons works to strengthen the capacities of national and regional stakeholders to control and reduce the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons, and thus contribute to enhanced stability, security and development in South Eastern and Eastern Europe. It was set up by the UN and Regional Cooperation Council, RCC.
Its report says millions of euros worth of weapons and equipment from the region were also sold to Afghanistan, Iraq, Algeria and Turkey.
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The report said the total value of arms exports from Albania, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Montenegro in 2016 amounted to 514.6 million euros.
The total worth of all arms trade licences issued in 2016 was 1.15 billion euro, only 44 per cent of which was used.
The report recorded growth in sales of 12 per cent compared to 2015, when regional arms exports earned 461 million euros.
In 2016, Albania sold 1.28 million euros worth of arms, similar to Montenegro, with 1.13 million euros, and Macedonia, with 1.21 million euros of arms sales.
Serbia, with sales worth 406.6 million euros, and Bosnia, with sales worth 104.3 million euros, topped the list in the region.
More than 50 per cent of the total arms export in the region related to ML3 the EU official code for the export of ammunition.
Around 15.59 per cent of the total arms export from the region was related to "production equipment and components" and 8.49 per cent to bombs, torpedoes, rockets, missiles, other explosive devices and charges and related equipment and accessories.
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Balkan nations earned most cash from selling arms in the Middle East – 187.6 million euros in total – followed by the EU, which generated sales worth 54.6 million euros – and North America – 72 million euros.
As in the previous two years, Saudi Arabia was the biggest buyer of mostly obsolete weapons and ammunition from the region, though the SEESAC document noted a decline in this.
The total value of such exports in 2016 was 116.4 million euros, of which Serbia earned 88 million euros, followed by Bosnia, which earned 28.4 million euros.
In 2016, Afganistan spent 23 million euros on arms from Balkan nations. Bosnia, which earned 10 million euros and Serbia, which earned 12.5 million euros, were the biggest exporters. The exports included aircraft equipment and ammunition.
Regional arms exports to Algeria in 2016 generated 73.2 million euros, mostly related to Serbian sales of equipment and military components.
Iraq spent 21.9 million euros on weapons, ammunition and ground vehicles from the Balkans in 2016 – 20.8 million euros from Serbia and 1.12 million euros from Bosnia.
The SEESAC report also revealed that Turkey is becoming more interested in weapons from the Balkans. Bosnia earned almost 7 million euros from ammunition exports to Turkey in 2016.
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ΠΗΓΗ http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/balkan-countries-continue-selling-arms-to-saudi-arabia-07-05-2018
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