Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Tuesday a Croatian-French military exercise and a flight of French Rafale fighter jets over Croatia were a message of "firm strategic partnership between the two countries and security provided to Croatians."

“Today they will fly over Croatia and in that way send a message of security, the friendship and partnership between France and Croatia and a message of security to Croatians, for which I thank them,” he said while visiting the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle currently in the Adriatic.

“That is part of the activities undertaken on the political level in direct agreement with French President Emmanuel Macron after a drone which took off from Ukraine crashed in Zagreb last Thursday,” Plenkovic said.

The Charles de Gaulle and seven other French, US, and Greek ships are currently anchored in the Adriatic near the Croatian city of Dubrovnik. They are participating in a mission of support to the states bordering Ukraine. The Rafale fighter jets from the carrier are now used to monitor the airs paces of Bulgaria and Romania, in the wake of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine.

“They are also involved in operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and these days they also took part in exercises with Croatian Air Force MIG-21s, strengthening the strategic partnership between France and Croatia,” said Plenkovic.

He was accompanied on the Charles de Gaulle by Defense Minister, Mario Banozic, Chief of the General Staff, Admiral Robert Hranj, and the Prime Minister’s defense advisor, Damir Krsticevic. They were welcomed by the commander of the French Maritime Force, Rear Admiral Christophe Cluzel, and the carrier’s commander, Captain Sebastien Martinot.

Croatian pilots from the 191st Fighter Squadron and French Rafale pilots from the Charles de Gaulle will be involved in joint training exercises in the skies above Istria and the Kvarner Bay in the northern Adriatic on Tuesday and Wednesday. The goal of the training is air space monitoring and protection, as well as deterrence, state agency Hina said.