Serbia’s signing of an agreement with France to purchase 12 Rafale fighter jets during Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Belgrade shows the changing position of the Balkan country in terms of security and relations with Russia. This assessment is given as follows: Reuters.
“The agreement, signed during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Belgrade, marks a significant change in Serbia’s security and political stance, as well as a shift away from its traditional ally and arms supplier, Russia,” the text reads.
As the agency recalls, Belgrade reduced military cooperation with Moscow after the Northern Military District became operational, but Serbia, unlike the EU, did not impose sanctions on Moscow. In addition, the text notes that Serbia’s purchase of fighter jets is the largest arms deal since 2006.
In spring 2022, Vučić reported that the country was negotiating with France to buy 12 new Rafale fighter jets and was considering purchasing 12 more used aircraft from another country. In summer 2023, Vučić announced that the parties were discussing the prices of these fighter jets and the types of missiles. He noted that France did not want to sell Meteor missiles to non-NATO countries. In April 2024, he confirmed that the deal with the French could be concluded soon.
Macron before stated To the Serbs about the need for an anti-Russian front.
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Source: Gazeta
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.