BELGRADE – French President Emmanuel Macron begins a two-day state visit to Serbia on Thursday, focusing on the possible sale of 12 Rafale multi-role fighter jets to the country, which maintains close ties with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine.
Macron will meet with populist President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade on Thursday evening. The deal, worth three billion euros (3.3 billion dollars), is expected to be announced at the meeting.
An official in Macron’s office, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with French presidential policy, said the talks on the fighter jets were part of a broader strategy to “bring Serbia closer to the EU.”
Serbia needs to modernize its fleet and the Rafale is a “strategic choice” for Belgrade, which could instead choose to rely exclusively on Russian equipment, the official said.
Serbia officially seeks membership in the European Union, but under Vucic’s increasingly autocratic rule it has made little progress on the rule of law and democratic reforms that are key prerequisites for membership in the 27-nation bloc.
In a letter to the Serbian public published in local media on Thursday, Macron sought to encourage the Balkan country to pursue its EU future, but noted that “the prospect of joining the European Union does not seem as attractive as it should be.” He referred to “concerns and fatigue about the rhythm of accession talks, but sometimes also a kind of resentment, even distrust” towards the EU.
“I come to Serbia again today with a simple message: the European Union and its nations need a strong and democratic Serbia in their ranks, and Serbia needs a strong and sovereign European Union to defend and promote its interests while respecting its identity,” Macron said in the letter, published in the liberal newspaper Danas.
Macron also warned that Serbia’s “balancing game” between the world powers after the Russian attack on Ukraine was an “illusion.” Only as part of the EU can Serbia protect its interests and preserve its identity, he said.
Serbia has been considering purchasing the new Rafale jets for more than two years, after its neighboring Balkan rival Croatia purchased twelve used fighter jets of the same type for around one billion euros ($1.1 billion).
The possible acquisition of Rafale fighter jets would enable Serbia to modernize its air force, which consists mainly of Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters and ageing Yugoslavian fighter jets.
Russia has traditionally been a supplier of military aircraft, including attack helicopters, to Serbia, which has so far refused to join international sanctions against Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine.
The rapid buildup of Serbia’s military has alarmed some of its neighbors following the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Serbia is almost completely surrounded by NATO member states.
The sale of Rafales to Russian ally Serbia, which has occasionally taken an aggressive stance towards its Balkan neighbours, has raised some concerns. One of these is how France will prevent sophisticated Rafale technology from being passed on to Russia.
When asked if there was a clause limiting the use of the Rafales, the French official replied: “In every contract there are clauses that set a framework for the use of such material.”
Macron’s talks with Vucic will also address simmering tensions in the Balkans, particularly in the former Serbian province of Kosovo, which declared its independence in 2008.
Macron’s travel program on Friday also includes a visit to a museum and an economic forum on artificial intelligence in the northern Italian city of Novi Sad. Also on the agenda is a possible agreement with the French energy supplier EDF on cooperation in the field of nuclear power plant technology.
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AP writers Angela Charlton in Paris and Jovana Gec in Belgrade contributed to this story.
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