January 29 (SeeNews) - Serbia's defence minister Aleksandar Vulin said the country's army plans to invest 266 million dinars ($2.8 million/2.2 million euro) in the acquisition of vehicles produced by state-owned truck maker Fabrika Automobila Priboj (FAP) in 2018.
Serbia's army needs 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 vehicles produced by FAP, Vulin said, as quoted by the country's defence ministry on Friday.
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At the end of last year, the defence ministry signed a 109 million dinars contract for the delivery of trucks to the Serbian army, the managing director of FAP, Ranko Vukovic, said in the statement.
In December, the chief-of-staff of the Serbian armed forces, Ljubisa Dikovic, said the army expects to receive about a hundred trucks produced by FAP and Zastava kamiona as part of plans to renew its fleet.
FAP produces trucks, buses and trailers in addition to chassis and spare parts. The company was established in 1953. In 2002 the Serbian government started preparations for its privatisation.
In February 2015, Serbia's privatisation agency called a tender for the sale of FAP, which attracted a single bidder - Finnish company Sisu Auto. However, the bidder eventually withdrew from the sale process.
(1 euro = 118.616 dinars)