Serbia has been arming itself largely with weapons from China and Russia for years. At the same time, the country cooperates closely with NATO – particularly in Kosovo, where there is now a rumble on the border.

aOn 9 April this year, an unusual sight was presented at Belgrade airport: six Chinese military transport aircraft, never seen before in Europe, landed of Serbia Capital. His cargo: a Chinese FK-3 anti-aircraft system. In the professional world, it is considered an adaptation of the Russian S-300 system. A few days ago, Serbia’s head of state and ruling party, Aleksandar Vucic, announced that he would soon introduce “the new pride of the Serbian Army”, a weapons system that would “dramatically increase the combat effectiveness of our armed forces.” “

Serbia is the only European country to use the Chinese system. in reactions The European Union Of which the Balkan country is still a candidate, at least on paper. The federal government announced that it expects all accession candidates to “join the EU’s common foreign and security policy and thereby move closer to the EU.” A foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing commented on objections that the delivery was part of a routine China-Serbian cooperation plan Belgrade had previously purchased Chinese fighter drones for. Delivery from China is an important part of the significant re-arming that Serbia has been pursuing for many years.