Macron visits Serbia at the end of August

2024-08-22 12:52:57, Kosova & Bota CNA

Macron visits Serbia at the end of August

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, during the meeting with his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic. Paris, November 10, 2022. Source, AFP

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, will pay an official visit to Serbia on August 29 and 30, it was said in an announcement published on the website of the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic.

Macron's visit to Belgrade will come less than five months after he hosted his Serbian counterpart, Vucic, in Paris.

This will be the second visit of the French president to Serbia in the last five years, as the two countries are strengthening their relations, especially in the field of economy.

While attending the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics held in Paris, Vucic said last month that Macron's visit to Serbia is expected to take place in early September. Both statesmen in their public statements have suggested that one of the topics of the meeting will be the purchase by Serbia of French fighter jets, Rafale.

In February 2023, Vucic told reporters that the purchase of Rafale aircraft will be the largest purchase from the budget of the Serbian army, "at a value of 3 billion euros".

Military issues will be part of the talks, Macron confirmed at a July 18 press conference during the European Political Community Summit, which was held in the United Kingdom.

Asked about the status of the contract for the sale of French aircraft to Serbia, Macron said that he will visit Serbia in the coming weeks or months "to finalize the negotiations that are subject to technical, financial and political negotiations between the two states."

Another issue that Macron and Vucic will discuss will be Kosovo. During a telephone conversation held in mid-June, Vucic told Macron that it is important that the issue of resolving disputes with Kosovo remains high on the agenda of the European Union, as he asked the French leader for support on this matter.

Both countries have described relations between them as "strong and friendly" and last year high-level meetings intensified. In addition to Vucic's visit to the Elysee Palace in April, the Serbian president also met with Macron at international forums, but also during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games./ REL