14.06.2022.
Meeting between Minister Stefanović and French Defence Minister Lecornu
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, who is paying an official visit to the French Republic, has met with the French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu in Paris. The two gentlemen discussed further improvement of defence cooperation between the two countries.
Minister Stefanović expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation achieved so far, describing it as comprehensive and intensive, especially in the fields of military economy and military technology. According to him, Serbia considers France a reliable partner in this segment, which is confirmed by the volume of technology contracts concluded over the past period, and by the presence of our defence industry companies at the International Defence and Security Exhibiton "Eurosatory 2022" which is currently being held in Paris.He emphasized that our country was determined to continue to develop and improve defence cooperation with other countries and partners in accordance with our own interests, with a view to strengthening national, regional and global security.
Improvement of defence cooperation with France, which is in line with strengthening overall bilateral relations between the two countries, which are in a constant upward trend thanks to friendly relations between presidents Aleksandar Vučić and Emmanuel Macron, is certainly one of the priorities, said Minister Stefanović. According to him, high-level reciprocal visits and direct talks certainly contribute to that. He invited his French counterpart for an official visit to the Republic of Serbia.The Minister took this opportunity to thank France once again for strongly supporting our country on its path to full EU membership, which is Serbia's foreign policy priority and strategic commitment.
The French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu welcomed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, and expressed his satisfaction with the relations between the French Republic and the Republic of Serbia, as well as his belief that cooperation between the two ministries would be further strengthened.
He confirmed France’s support for our country on its path to EU membership and expressed his appreciation of Serbia’s efforts to preserve peace and stability in the Western Balkans.Minister Lecornu also pointed out that the Ministry of the Armed Forces of France would support all arrangements and agreements concluded between the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Serbia and French defence industry companies.
The meeting with Minister Stefanović is one of the first bilateral meetings that French Minister Lecornu has had since he was recently appointed as the Minister of the Armed Forces of France.
