Almost a hundred more companies than expected came to the Defence Industries Forum in Kyiv, and 30 countries were represented in total.

"These numbers exceeded all expectations. And I am grateful to 252 companies from more than 30 countries in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, who came to Kyiv for our Defence Industries Forum," Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said following the meeting.

The participation of 165 representatives of the defence industry was confirmed a few days before the Forum.

Ukraine’s first Defense Industries Forum has struck a nerve in global security policy.

In Kyiv, 252 defense companies from over 30 countries gathered to boost cooperation and co-production with Ukrainian partners.

The military might of the free world is being forged in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/E4fAJvES0k

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) September 30, 2023

Kuleba said that the meeting was attended by "world manufacturers of tanks, artillery, drones and anti-drones, ammunition, developers of innovative software and owners of unique complex technologies; Ukrainian state and private enterprises, from extensive groups of companies to defence-tech startups."

A new era in the development of the Ukrainian defence industry began with this event, Kuleba said. 

"Now we are not just bringing foreign weapons to Ukraine. We are integrating the Ukrainian defence industry into the NATO defence industry. We are establishing mutually beneficial partnerships and attracting advanced technologies to produce the most powerful weapons in the necessary quantities ourselves. So that the soldier at the front today has everything he needs for self-defence and the destruction of the enemy. So that after victory, the weapons created by Ukraine and its partners will be the most competitive in the world," Kuleba explained.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announced at the event the establishment of a Defence Industries Alliance and said that 13 major manufacturers had already joined it.