Kalinak in Malaysia Supports Slovak Howitzer, Which Is in Final Stage of Tender

Bratislava, May 10 (TASR) - Slovak Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) has met his Malaysian counterpart Mohamed Khaled in Malaysia, the ministry's communications department told TASR on Friday, adding that Kalinak is in Malaysia to support the Slovak BIA howitzer, which, along with a French product, is in the final selection process for the Malaysian armed forces. "Following the meeting with the defence minister, it was confirmed that we have much more in common than might seem at first glance. Malaysia's main battle tank carries a weapons system that comes from Dubnica nad Vahom. There was a lot to talk about, not only about the servicing or renewal of the equipment that Malaysia has, but also about joint ventures that would enable the production not only of weapons and weapon systems, but also of the ammunition for them," said Kalinak after the meeting. The minister also noted that one of the contracts is now in the final stage of the decision-making process. "If successful, Slovakia will once again receive a very important contract that will help to raise the profile of the Slovak defence industry and its products and to increase our gross domestic product, not to mention making the economy more diverse, which is extremely important for Slovakia," stated the Slovak minister. am/df