РНБОУ National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine

Speech of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov at the opening ceremony of the XIV International Specialized Exhibition “Arms and Security-2017”

Dear ministers,

heads of official delegations of partner countries,

participants, organizers, and guests of the exhibition!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I sincerely congratulate you on the opening of the XIV International Specialized Exhibition "Arms and Security-2017". For the 14th year in a row, the international forum "Arms and Security", unique in the scope of displayed exhibits, demonstrates the best technologies of Ukrainian and foreign developers and manufacturers in the field of security, defense, and special equipment. Each year, this exhibition is gaining strength both in the number of its participants and in the quality of the production presented.

In the pavilions and on the openings of the International Exhibition Center, samples of modern weapons, military equipment and special-purpose equipment, protection means and equipment, and much more are presented.

Our partners from Europe, Asia, North and South America are participating in the exhibition and are widely represented. I sincerely welcome the guests and exhibitors who came to Ukraine!

For our country, the production of weapons and military equipment is not just a significant and vital segment of our economy - it is the defense of our freedom and independence, this is our survival formula.

For the fourth year, Russia's aggression against Ukraine has been ongoing, and all this time we have been forced to count primarily on our strengths.

The Ukrainian defense-industrial complex satisfies all the basic needs of our army, the National Guard, the Security Service of Ukraine, border guards, the National Police and other law enforcement agencies.

To protect the country, we were forced to launch the production of the widest range of weapons - from pistols, automatic rifles, machine guns, and mortars to powerful armored vehicles and modern and effective missile systems.

From the first days of the revival of our defense industry and the remilitarization of the country, the partnership between public and private sectors has become a priority for us.

The launch of joint projects, cooperation, import substitution, and fair competition have become the main drivers of the prevailing rates of development of our defense-industrial complex, improvement of characteristics and reduction of the cost of domestic developments.

The main difference of Ukrainian weapons and military equipment is that they undergo tests not only in laboratories and on proving grounds but also in modern combat conditions. After the combat use of weapons and military equipment, designers and manufacturers make dozens and hundreds of constructive changes, taking into account the proposals of our main experts - Ukrainian soldiers and officers. This approach was the key to the high quality and competitiveness of Ukrainian weapons and military equipment.

But we cannot stop! We need a new quality of weapons, military equipment, and the means of protecting our warriors. And the key to this is the combination of modern science and production, effective international cooperation.

Therefore, this exhibition is also an open platform for discussions, sharing experience, integration, and cooperation to launch new innovative projects and advanced technologies. During the exhibition, scientific and practical conferences, roundtables will be held to discuss the issues of development and modernization of armaments, contracts will be signed, and joint projects will be created.

I wish you all fruitful work, interesting meetings and implementation of your ideas and ambitious plans!

Thank you for attention.