A delegation of the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by Minister Zukan Helez, began an official visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt. On the first day of the visit, Minister Helez met with Major General Salah Suleiman Gamblat, Minister of Military Production of Egypt, with whom he discussed strengthening cooperation in the field of defense industry.

During the substantive and constructive meeting, the officials exchanged views on the potentials and capacities of both countries. Helez introduced his Egyptian counterpart to the production capabilities, high product quality and constant development potential of the BiH defense industry, which has recorded exceptional growth in recent years and achieved significant results on the international market.

Special emphasis was placed on the promotion of the upcoming, first international fair of the defense industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina – “ First Balkan Shield – Industrial Expo Summit 2026″ .

Minister Helez emphasized that this summit will bring together key domestic, regional and global actors from the military sector with the aim of exchanging experiences and strengthening ties, and extended an official invitation to Egyptian partners to actively participate in this event.

Photo: Ministry of Defense of BiH

Photo: Ministry of Defense of BiH

As part of the visit, the BiH delegation also visited the defense industry factories in Egypt, where Minister Helez witnessed firsthand the impressive production capacities and technological development of this country. On that occasion, he emphasized that there is enormous scope for joint projects between companies from BiH and Egypt.

"I believe that Egypt, thanks to its geostrategic position and strong economic ties across the African continent, can represent an important starting point for the further expansion of Bosnia and Herzegovina's defense industry products to African markets. At the same time, cooperation with our companies can open up new opportunities for Egyptian partners in the markets of Southeast Europe. I am convinced that this visit will further strengthen the relations between our countries and open up new opportunities for cooperation in the field of defense, defense industry and overall bilateral relations," said Helez.

The official visit will continue in the coming days, when Minister Helez will meet with two more Egyptian state ministers. The crowning achievement of this visit is the official signing of the Agreement on Defense Cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Arab Republic of Egypt, which will set the legal and strategic framework for even stronger partnership relations.