India Refuses to Negotiate With France on Rafale Jets Price

Sputnik News

14:57 18.03.2015(updated 15:07 18.03.2015)

India conveyed to the French government and the Dassault Aviation company that the price conditions of the deal on Rafale jets were not up for negotiation, Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Earlier, Indian media reported that New Delhi might pull out of the $20-billion deal with Dassault on the acquisition of 126 Rafale fighters over high costs and the company's refusal to guarantee the performance of Rafales produced in India.

'We have conveyed our stand to them [France] very clearly. Simultaneously, they have to tell us whether they can do it or not. We can't keep on waiting,' Parrikar said as quoted by New Indian Express.

Sources in the Indian Defense Ministry told Sputnik that the country was considering Russia's Sukhoi Su-30 fighters as an alternative to Rafales.

On Thursday, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Britain was ready to offer Eurofigter aircraft to India if the deal with France fell through.

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