The sale comes as European nations search to wean Serbia away from its conventional ally and arms provider, Moscow.
France and Serbia have signed a $3 billion deal for the sale of 12 French-made Rafale fighter jets, as European international locations attempt to persuade Serbia to desert its shut ties with Russia.
The historic sale, signed by Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic and Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier on Thursday, comes as French President Emmanuel Macron visits Belgrade in a bid to strengthen ties between the 2 nations.
“We’re delighted to be a part of the Rafale membership. We thank the President of France for taking this choice and permitting us to purchase the brand new Rafale,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic advised reporters throughout the contract signing.
Macron says the transfer will assist deliver Serbia, which has had shut political and financial ties with Russia for years, nearer to the European Union. Thursday’s deal marks the most important arms sale to Serbia, a frequent purchaser of Russian weapons, since 2006.
The French chief described the settlement as an act of “strategic braveness” and a “true demonstration of the European spirit.”
Critics have mentioned the deal rewards an more and more autocratic authorities in Belgrade that continues to embrace revisionist narratives about previous human rights abuses and harbors territorial ambitions that threaten the integrity of its neighbors.
The deal may assist enhance Serbia’s efforts to modernize its army, which has lengthy relied on Soviet-era army expertise and {hardware}.
Belgrade has distanced itself from army cooperation with Moscow since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, however has not joined different European states in issuing sanctions.
Serbia has expressed curiosity in becoming a member of the EU, however these ambitions have been hampered by points together with corruption, the rule of regulation and thorny relations with neighbouring Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a transfer that angered Serbian nationalists.
Vucic’s authorities has just lately confronted avenue protests in opposition to a possible lithium extraction undertaking, considered positively by the EU and beforehand suspended following massive demonstrations in 2022.
