The Slovakian arms industry has suffered
in the recession brought about partly by the peaceful separation
from the Czech Republic in 1993. Modernisation of the industry
since 1998 with the aim of joining NATO has brought about some
scandalous exporting, in spite of the small size of such exports
(less than $1 million annually). Liberia, Sierra Leone and
Sudan have received arms illegally. IANSA members are pushing
for greater transparency on the part of the government.
One particularly noteworthy scandal arose when it was revealed that the Al-Qaida
terrorists that bombed US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania had purchased explosives
in Slovakia.
Organisations
Slovak
Working Group on Arms Trade
UNDP Slovakia
Other links
Report
on the arms industry from Saferworld (PDF)
Report
on the arms industry (2002) from the Slovak Foreign Policy Association
(PDF) |
