Kalinak Advocates Arms Procurement via Loan from SAFE Tool

Bratislava, 28 November (TASR) - Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) advocated the procurement of arms via a loan from the European Security Ammunition Support for Europe (SAFE) tool following a special cabinet session on Friday. According to Kalinak, the European Union mediated the loan under better conditions than Slovakia would have borrowed the money. Several procurements are just framework contracts that can be also joined by other countries and don't have to be fully drawn. Kalinak ascribed the high sums to multiplying the value of the annual production capacity with the number of years of the contract. "That isn't the sum that the Defence Ministry plans to invest, as it naturally couldn't afford it. If you noticed, ammunition was defined as €58 billion in that framework, which would essentially be a 20-year budget for the ministry, but the contract is in fact a seven-year one," said Kalinak. The minister criticised opposition politicians for their reservations about the procurement via the SAFE tool. He said that the amount of €85 million for assault rifles isn't final and that a reduction will be sought. The purchase might be finalised by the end of the year, added Kalinak. At its session on Wednesday (26 November), the government decided that purchases of weapons or vehicles for the army will be co-financed through a loan from SAFE. The Defence Ministry plans to use the entire amount allocated for Slovakia's defence, potentially borrowing more than €2.3 billion. In total, SAFE will fully or partly finance nine investment projects. The opposition criticised the fact that the Defence Ministry plans to make use of the loan for projects for which tenders won't be organised and will assign them directly. It has no problem with the tool itself. ko/df