The French president and his Serbian counterpart close in Belgrade the purchase of 12 Rafale aircraft by the Balkan country, in the midst of its negotiations to enter the European Union.
He President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučićannounced on Thursday a deal worth billions of euros to buy 12 French fighter planesin a move that distances his country from its dependence on Russian weapons.
The announcement about multirole fighters Rafale It was made during a joint press conference in Belgrade with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, on a two-day visit to Serbia.
Macron described the “historic and important” agreementand praised Serbia’s “strategic courage” as “a true demonstration of European spirit”. Serbia needs to modernize its fleet and the Rafale is a “strategic choice”for Belgrade, said the French leader.
Russia has been a traditional supplier of military aircraftincluding combat helicopters, to Serbiawhich has refused to join international sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
The agreement occurs in the context of EU accession negotiations
Serbia formally aspires to join the European Union, but under the Gobierno de Vučić has made little progress in the areas of rule of law and democratic reforms, which are the main preconditions for joining the 27-nation bloc.
In a letter to the Serbian public, published in local media on Thursday, Macron sought to encourage the Balkan nation to pursue its future in the EU, but noted that “the prospect of joining the European Union does not seem to be as attractive as it should be”citing “concerns and fatigue over the pace of accession talks” and “a kind of resentment, even distrust” towards the EU.
“Today I come to Serbia again with a simple message: The European Union and its nations need to have a strong and democratic Serbia in their ranks, and Serbia needs a strong and sovereign European Union to defend and promote its interests while respecting its identity,” Macron said in the letter, published in the liberal newspaper ‘Today‘.
Concern over the rapid arming of Russia’s ally Serbia
Macron also warned that after Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the “balancing game” between world powers is an “illusion.” He further said that Serbia will only be able to protect its interests and preserve its identity as part of the EU.
The rapid arming of the Serbian Army has worried some of its neighbors following the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Serbia is almost completely surrounded by NATO member countries.
The sale of Rafales to Serbia, ally of Russiawhich has at times expressed an aggressive stance toward its Balkan neighbors, has raised some concernsone of which is how France plans to prevent the sophisticated Rafale technology from being shared with Russia.
