Ten Ukrainian companies participated in NEDS, a defense and security exhibition held in Rotterdam for 35 consecutive years. The event was supported by the Dutch government, with the presence of Minister of Defense, Ruben Brakelmans.

Minister of Strategic Industries, Herman Smetanin, addressed the opening of the exhibition via a video message.

First, the Minister thanked the Government of the Netherlands for the invitation and for all the support provided to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion. The Netherlands was one of the first countries to join the ZBROYARI: Manufacturing Freedom initiative.

"I am pleased that the partnership between our countries is expanding and now includes the defense industry. The Ukrainian companies presented at this exhibition manufacture a wide range of weapons, from conventional equipment to advanced military-technical innovations. I see the participation of Ukrainian defense companies at NEDS as another step in the partnership between the defense industries of both our countries. About 10 Western defense companies are already working in Ukraine in one form or another. I encourage Dutch defense companies to join," said Herman Smetanin.

According to him, Ukrainian defense companies are open and ready for cooperation. There are many options: joint projects for the repair and maintenance of equipment, joint ventures, opening local offices and R&D centers, creating companies from scratch, and supplying components. The Ukrainian government is continuously improving legislation. We are ready to support our partners at every stage, helping solve various issues.

Raymond Knops, Chairman of the Netherlands Defense Industries Association, in his welcoming speech, pointed out that this week marks 1000 days since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and there are still no signs that this aggression will diminish.

“Therefore, Europe cannot afford any form of naivety. If we do not stop evil in Ukraine, it will creep closer to our borders. And what we are only seeing on the front pages of newspapers could end up in our own backyards. But it doesn’t have to be this way; we have the chance to prevent this. And each of us sitting in this room plays a decisive role in this. Because our industrial capacity determines how well we can support Ukraine, and how long we can continue that support. But we need to remain focused and cooperate closely. This is important not only for our support of Ukraine but also for strengthening our armed forces and NATO. To deter Russia and other aggressive regimes, we must massively strengthen our collective defense,” stated Raymond Knops.