Croatia has confirmed the purchase of 18 French Caesar self-propelled howitzers for 320 million euros to bolster its artillery. During a visit to Paris, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic also signed a letter of intent to modernize its 12 Rafale jets with French assistance. The two nations further strengthened their strategic partnership through a triennial action plan.
On December 8, during a visit to Paris, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace. The governments of both countries signed an agreement for the order of 18 Caesar self-propelled howitzers, a purchase announced in early November by the Croatian Defense Ministry to Agence France-Presse for 320 million euros.
“We are very pleased with the dynamics in defense,” Plenkovic stated to the press after the meeting. Emmanuel Macron highlighted that this acquisition relies on the new European SAFE instrument, dedicated to financing the European defense industrial and technological base. “This is an eloquent realization of what we have fought for in recent months at the European level,” he added, referring to the continent's rearmament efforts based on European equipment.
Additionally, a letter of intent was signed to upgrade the 12 Rafale jets acquired by Zagreb from Dassault to the technological standard equivalent to that of the French Air and Space Force. The two European Union and NATO members also signed a triennial action plan for 2026-2028 to consolidate their strategic partnership established in 2021.
Macron noted that trade exchanges between France and Croatia increased by 40% from 2021 to 2024, while French companies' investments in Croatia nearly tripled.