Kingdom of Saudi Arabia donates USD 940,000 to UNDP’s EXPLODE+ project

May 9, 2018

Significant step towards safer ammunition storage

Official signing of the USD 940,000 worth contract between the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Development Programme in BiH marks the kick-off of activities on finalising the infrastructure improvements of “Krupa” ammunition storage site of the BiH Armed Forces in Hadžići.

Representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Armed Forces of BiH, EUFOR, OSCE, and numerous embassies attended the signing of the contract.

The official contract signing was welcomed by its signatories Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Bosnia and Herzegovina Hani bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Mominah, UNDP BiH Resident Representative Sezin Sinanoglu, as well as General Ali bin Ibrahim Al Fawaz, as the head of delegation of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia visiting BiH, as the contract directly contributes to the strengthening of the ammunition storage standards as well as the capacity to tackle surplus weapons.

Deputy Minister of Defence of BiH for policy and plans Sead Jusić stressed the importance of continuous activities in BiH to tackle surplus weapons and extended gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the most recent donation, as well as to UNDP, OSCE, NATO Headquarters, EUFOR, and other international partners engaged for creating a safer environment in BiH and the region.

“Today we witness an extremely important day, the day of strengthening bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bosnia and Herzegovina”, stressed H.E. Hani bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Mominah, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to BiH, noting that this is an extremely important donation for BiH and its Armed Forces.

Resident Representative Sinanoglu highlighted that UNDP is continuously working to reduce surpluses of unsafe ammunition and improve the infrastructure in ammunition depots, in direct cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of BiH and the Armed Forces of BiH, and a number of international partners.

“Obsolete and unstable ammunition in BiH is a continuing threat, and this donation and contribution of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is very important for strengthening the safety of all citizens in BiH,” said Sezin Sinanoglu, UNDP BiH Resident Representative.

The official signing ceremony of the contract was also welcomed by General Ali bin Ibrahim Al Fawaz, on behalf of the high Saudi delegation during the visit to BiH, stating that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Government was working to establish peace and stability in all parts of the globe.

A donation of nearly USD 1 million will allow for a completion of the necessary infrastructure and safety interventions at the ammunition storage site “Krupa” in Hadžići, and contribute to overall increase of the storage safety and efficiency of ammunition and EOD stockpile in the hands of the BiH Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces.

EXPLODE+ project, as a multi-donor platform to enhance security standards, is implemented by the BiH MoD and UNDP with the support of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Norway, the United States of America, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and EUFOR.