According to the authorities of Serbia, the war in Ukraine accelerated the diversification of the sources of weapons for their country, which is why the official Belgrade decided to purchase fighter jets from France, and not from Russia.
Serbia refused to cooperate with Russia in one more area
A representative of the Serbian Ministry of Defence commented on this matter.
He explained Belgrade's intention to purchase 12 French Rafale multi-purpose fighters.
According to preliminary data, the contract amount is estimated at 3 billion euros.
According to the representative of the Ministry of Defence of Serbia, more than 90 percent of the specified agreement was agreed upon.
Despite this, official Paris and Belgrade have not agreed on financial terms.
The official also emphasized that the war in Ukraine "accelerated diversification for us."
We relied on Soviet-style technology, and we have some long tails, the need to maintain this equipment... Due to geopolitical circumstances, it's simply impossible now — even if you want to — to buy from Russia, he stated.
France changed its position dramatically
As the Serbian official noted, before, Paris was not particularly interested in the Balkan region, but that has changed.
Rafale is an important milestone, but not the whole story, he emphasised, noting that the Balkan country also bought French radar and missile systems and placed an order for Airbus transport aircraft.
It is also essential to understand that in the coming decade, the service life of the Soviet MiG-29s will expire in Serbia, and the country wants to ensure the uninterrupted operation of its air force.
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