BELGRADE (Serbia), August 12 (SeeNews) – Serbia is considering the acquisition of a FK-3 radar-guided surface-to-air missile system from China despite the US warnings that such a deal could compromise the country's European Union integration efforts, Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic has said.
"Every time we decide to buy something, there is always someone against it. We have been considering the purchase of FK-3, we have not bought it yet, but we will decide ourselves," Vucic said in a video file posted on the YouTube channel of Tanjug news agency on Tuesday.
The Serbian authorities had earlier expressed interest in acquiring a S-400 Triumf medium- or long-range anti-aircraft missile system from Russia, which is included in the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) of the US Congress.
FK-3 is not on the sanctions list of the US government, Vucic said.
"However, we understand the political message and we will consider it when making our future decisions. We will act as an independent, sovereign and free country," he noted.
On Sunday, the US embassy in Belgrade said the procurement of military and defence equipment is a sovereign decision of every country, but advised the Serbian government to work on fuller harmonisation with the Common Security and Defence Policy of the EU.
"The choice of the supplier should reflect Serbia’s declared goal: integrating with Europe. There are other sellers who do not depend on authoritarian regimes and who offer equipment not only capable of meeting Serbia’s defence needs but which is of comparable quality and price," the US Embassy statement said in a statement to Radio Free Europe.
According to media reports, the acquisition of the FK-3 missile system was included in state-run arms company Jugoimport SDPR’s annual report submitted to the state Business Registers Agency last month. In June, Serbia received six CH-92A combat drones armed with laser-guided missiles in the first delivery of Chinese unmanned aircraft in Europe.
FK-3, the export version of the HQ-22 system, is China's new generation medium-range, radar-guided surface-to-air missile. It has a range of up to 170 km and an effective altitude from 50 metres to 27 km.