Serbia sees France as a significant partner – in political, military and economic terms, while France hopes that by strengthening ties with Serbia, primarily economic ones, it will not only overtake Germany as its main rival in the EU but also contribute to the goal of the “strategic autonomy of the Union”, says Johanna Deimel, an independent German senior analyst for the Western Balkans and Southeast Europe, for EWB. Macron will visit the cities of Belgrade and Novi Sad today and tomorrow, at the invitation of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
It is expected that an agreement on the purchase of 12 French Rafale fighter jets, among others, will be finalised during the visit, which, according to the President of Serbia “will significantly improve our combat capabilities”. Vučić also announced that the construction of nuclear energy capacities would be discussed, but he denied the claims that had appeared in recent days that French nuclear waste would be stored in Serbia.
