Belgrade has denied earlier press reports that Serbia had agreed to provide MiG-29s to Kyiv as part of its contract with France to purchase Rafale fighter jets.
Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gašić refuted information published in the Serbian and regional press that the contract for the purchase of 12 new Rafale aircraft from Dassault Aviation allegedly includes a clause that the Serbian MiG-29s will be delivered first to France and then to Ukraine.
“This is yet another in a series of lies and fabrications whose sole purpose is to cast a shadow over the purchase of 12 brand new, fourth-generation Rafale multirole fighter aircraft. MiGs owned by Serbia (…) will never be handed over to anyone,” said Gašić.
He said that thanks to the responsible policy of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Serbia has acquired 14 modernized MiG-29 aircraft, recalling that under previous governments, not a single MiG-29 could take off and defend the country’s airspace.
“We will continue to procure state-of-the-art combat equipment to strengthen the capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces and to maintain peace and stability,” Gašić added.
Belgrade will purchase 12 Rafale supersonic fighter-bomber aircraft from France, an agreement signed between the Serbian government and the French company Dassault Aviation in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
Vučić said that the purchase of the fighter-bombers is of great importance, as it will significantly increase Serbia’s military power and security. He added that Serbia does not want war but peace, even if this word is not popular in the world and Europe at the moment.
