INDIA AND FRANCE
CONCLUDES $ 6 BILLION MISSILE DEAL
[The
two countries inked four pacts, including one in field
of railways]
Following French President Francois Hollande's
arrival in India on February 14, 2013, the two
countries concluded negotiations on the Short Range
Surface to Air Missile worth $ 6 billion.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said talks on
the $ 12 billion deal for Rafale fighter aircraft
are progressing well.
After comprehensive talks, Hollande and Singh
said
views were exchanged on a number of bilateral, regional
and multi-lateral issues of common interest including defence ties, civil
nuclear cooperation, counter-terrorism and the current situation in the west
African nation Mali. The two day India visit in Hollande’s first bilateral trip
to Asia, which Singh said, demonstrated the importance of the relationship
between the countries.
"President
Hollande and I exchanged views on a number of
bilateral, regional and unilateral issues of common
interest," Singh said at a joint press event after the talks. "We reviewed progress on the Jaitapur
Nuclear Power Project and reiterated our commitment to its early implementation as soon as the commercial and technical
negotiations, which have made good progress, are completed."
The Z 30,000
crore Short Range Surface to Air Missile project is a
joint venture between India and France and would be
developed by MBDA of France and Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) from the Indian
side. The surface to air missile defence system would
be deployed by Indian Air Force and Navy.
Hollande was
accompanied on his visit by French business
leaders including arms major Dassault's chief executive
Eric Trappier, whose company is hoping to seal a deal
for 126 Rafale warplanes to India in the world's biggest
defence contract currently under negotiations.
Hollande said
he has come to take the Indo-French strategic
partnership to 'yet another level' while noting that
the defence cooperation reflects India's trust for French technology and France's trust for use of technology by India.
The two sides also inked four pacts, including one in the field of railways.
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