Khaberni - Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced on Tuesday that his country will produce military drones under a joint agreement with an Israeli company, the name of which was not disclosed.
Vučić had previously announced a project to build a drone factory in Serbia "with a foreign partner", revealing on Tuesday the selection of an Israeli company for this project.
He said that choosing an Israeli partner on a fifty-fifty basis "naturally came because they are the best manufacturers".
Earlier in the month, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" reported following a joint investigation that the company "Elbit Systems" plans to build a drone factory in Serbia.
"Elbit Systems" received widespread criticism for its role in Israeli military operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
According to reports, the factory will be managed by "Elbit Systems" and the state-owned Serbian company "SDPR", which will produce both short and long-range drones.
No comments were issued on these reports from either the Serbian or the Israeli side.
Serbia was the subject of criticism in recent months following reports of a sharp increase in its weapon exports to Israel after the start of the war in Gaza.
During a visit to Serbia last month, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, said that Belgrade is "among Israel's most staunch allies".
In a report dating back to June 2025, Albanese pointed out that "Elbit Systems" is among the companies profiting from the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
For his part, President Vučić considered the cooperation with Israel excellent and repeatedly defended the increase in weapon exports to Israel.
He said "they sell us weapons and we sell them weapons, and this will continue in this manner".
