France’s President Emmanuel Macron, in Serbia on a two-day state visit, is expected to close on the sale of a dozen Rafale multi-purpose fighter jets to his hosts, an imminent deal worth a reported 3 billion euros. The French fighter jet represents a ″strategic choice” for Belgrade as it seeks to upgrade its fleet.
Populist President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, who maintains close ties with Moscow, has the option of choosing to stick with Russian equipment instead. However, Serbia has been eyeing the new Rafale jets for over two years, the more so since Balkan rival Croatia acquired 12 used fighter jets of the same type for about 1 billion euros. The Rafale jets would enable Serbia to upgrade its air force, which currently consists mainly of Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters and ageing Yugoslav combat aircraft.
Serbia is almost completely surrounded by NATO member countries, with some neighbouring countries uneasy about the rapid upgrading of its military assets. Moreover, the sale of Rafales to Russian ally Serbia has raised concerns about just how France plans to prevent Belgrade from sharing the sophisticated Rafale technology with Russia.
Serbia’s formal bid for European Union membership has stalled given Vučić’s increasingly autocratic rule, which has seen minimal progress in such key fields as the rule of law and democratic reforms, which are among the main prerequisites for membership. Despite these concerns, Macron’s visit is viewed as “positive news”, according to Emanuele Giaufret, head of the EU delegation to Belgrade, who called the French President’s visit an important step on Serbia’s path to eventual integration into the EU.
Earlier, the Elysee Palace announced that Macron would confirm his support for Serbia’s European integration. A statement described his visit as an opportunity to talk with the Serbian President about the economy, health care, energy, culture, and artificial intelligence. Macron is also expected to raise the issue of tensions in the Balkans, especially in the former Serbian province of Kosovo.
