French President Emmanuel Macron will also discuss finalizing an agreement with Serbia to purchase French-made Rafale supersonic fighter-bomber aircraft during his two-day visit to Belgrade. In addition, he will discuss energy cooperation with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Serbian public television (RTS) reported ahead of the visit.
The Serbian president announced in April that Serbia is “extremely close” to buying Rafale aircraft from France. Vučić said at the time that the purchase of the fighters would significantly expand cooperation between the two countries in the military field, but also in other areas. Prior to Thursday’s visit, the Serbian head of state pointed out that most of Serbia’s aircraft currently come from Russia, but that it is now time for Serbia to modernize its military. The purchase of Rafale aircraft could cost up to €3 billion, RTS reported.
According to official announcements, other agreements will be signed in Belgrade during the French president’s visit, which will further strengthen bilateral relations, as well as Serbia’s European integration and relations between Belgrade and Pristina, Kosovo.
Emmanuel Macron last visited Serbia in 2019. On Thursday and Friday, the French president will visit companies and infrastructure projects of French interest, the Belgrade airport and the Belgrade metro construction works, as well as prominent Serbian companies in the field of research and development that can cooperate with French companies.
This April, neighboring Croatia received the first six of a total of 12 Rafale jets from France, which will eventually be used to police the country’s airspace in joint NATO operations, overseen by Allied Air Command in Ramstein, Germany, and the Alliance’s southern Combined Air Operations Centre at Torrejon, Spain.
