Serbia plans to purchase French Rafale fighter jets after Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that he had a very good conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron during his Paris visit.
The conversation, which lasted for more than three hours, led to a concrete agreement on the purchase of the combat aircraft, with contracts to be signed in the next two months.
“I am very happy with the outcome of our negotiations, and I am also happy that we have been able to discuss our cooperation with one of the most important countries in the world in an open and concrete way. We have reached an agreement on the purchase of Rafale fighters. We will sign the contract in the next two months in the presence of the president of France,” Vučić said according to a Serbian news portal, which also announced that he expects Emmanuel Macron to visit Belgrade in the coming months.
After the meeting, Macron commented on his discussions with Vučić, saying: “I am convinced that Serbia can play a serious role. Serbia should not doubt that its future lies in the European Union. For me, EU integration stems from a common past and common values. We must move forward together so as not to miss this historic moment.”
In recent weeks, Macron has been in the international press saying that he would not rule out the possibility of Western troops going to Ukraine, a move that could lead to open war between Russia and NATO.
The French Rafale has been in service since its 2001 introduction in France, Egypt, Qatar, India, Greece and Croatia. Serbia is reportedly purchasing 12 of the aircraft, which, at a unit cost of around $115 million is the fifth most expensive fighter jet in the world.
