While in Zagreb, Macron approves the sale of 12 used Rafale

French President Emmanuel Macron and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic at a press conference in Zagreb this Thursday, November 25, 2021. © Damir SENCAR / POOL / AFP

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1 min

The purpose of President Macron's visit to Croatia was to sign a contract for the sale of twelve second-hand Rafale to the small Balkan country, for almost a billion euros.

This sale comes at a time when the country has experienced many setbacks with its military aviation, and an arms race is underway in the region.

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With our correspondent in the region,

Laurent Rouy

With the purchase of these Rafales, Croatia is coming out on top of its painful policy of air modernization.

The country wanted to replace its old MiG-21s.

In 2013, a questionable purchase of twelve second-hand MiGs from Ukraine proved catastrophic for Croatia, with Yemen claiming five of the planes belonged to it, and six others were unfit to fly.

In 2018, Croatia tried to buy twelve planes from Israel, but the United States blocked the deal.

Meanwhile, Serbia was buying Russian planes, French helicopters and Chinese drones.

Croatia also recovered cannons in Germany, and American tanks.

But at the same time, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo have sharply increased their military spending.

Serbia, the first regional arsenal, is now eyeing Russian S300 missiles, and tensions are mounting in Bosnia, to the point that Washington is sending an envoy to announce that there will be no war.

In short, the arms race led by the Serbs and Croats destabilizes a region crossed by American, European, Russian, Turkish and Chinese influences.

It is in this context that the signing of this contract must be placed.

► To read again: With twelve planes bought by Croatia, the Rafale confirms its late success

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  • Croatia

  • France

  • Defense

  • Aeronautics

  • Emmanuel Macron