Salah Suleiman Gamblat, Egypt's state minister for military production, met with Zukan Helez, deputy chair of Bosnia and Herzegovina's council of ministers and defence minister, at the Bosnian defence ministry in Sarajevo on September 1-4 to discuss deepening bilateral defence cooperation.
The meetings were held during Gamblat's participation in the First Balkan Shield Defence Industry Expo and Summit 2026, a defence sector showcase in the Bosnian capital. During talks, both sides reviewed their manufacturing, technological and technical capabilities and discussed potential cooperation, expertise exchange and integration efforts.
Gamblat said Egypt's defence ministry was working to expand domestic manufacturing, localize advanced production technologies and strengthen international cooperation in various fields. He expressed interest in establishing strategic bilateral partnerships including joint manufacturing, technology transfer and other forms of cooperation.
Helez praised Egypt's defence manufacturing capabilities, which he had observed during a visit to Egypt in June and while touring the Egyptian pavilion at the expo. He said Bosnia and Herzegovina's defence sector has become a major component of the country's gross domestic product in recent years and that the nation is committed to adopting the latest global technologies and maintaining quality standards. Both sides agreed to continue coordination to convert potential cooperation opportunities into industrial projects serving mutual interests.
Gamblat also met separately with Fedran Lakic, Bosnia and Herzegovina's federal minister of energy, mining and industry. Both officials discussed potential partnerships between Egyptian defence companies and Bosnian counterparts, as well as technical expertise exchange and future cooperation areas. Lakic said he had observed notable advances in Egyptian defence manufacturing during his participation in Egypt's International Defence Industries Exhibition last year.
