France May Review Mistral Warship Contract With Russia in October
11:26 14/05/2014
WASHINGTON, May 14 (RIA Novosti) – France must legally fulfill its contract with Russia for the delivery of two Mistral helicopter-carrying warships, but the decision could still be reviewed, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said while speaking in Washington on Tuesday.
'The signed contracts are being acted upon ... From the judicial point of view, we cannot allow ourselves not to act upon them,' Fabius said.
'The final decision will be made in October,' he said, adding that October is when the legal aspects of the deal could be reviewed.
Fabius hinted at US-imposed pressure to cancel the 1.2 billion euro ($1.6 billion) deal as part of the sanctions against Russia following its reunification with Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula formerly part of Ukraine. He earlier said cancelling the contract would harm France more than Russia.
'France doesn't need lessons in harshness from anyone,' he said.
Under a June 2011 contract signed between Russia and France, the first French Mistral-class amphibious assault ship, the Vladivostok, will be delivered to Russia by the end of the year, while the second ship, the Sevastopol, is due to arrive next year. The ships are capable of carrying 16 helicopters, four landing craft, 70 armored vehicles, and 450 soldiers and are expected to be deployed with Russia's Pacific Fleet.
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