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Mistral Deal Still Afloat? Russia Expects France to Honor Contract

Sputnik News

18:40 06.12.2014(updated 20:48 06.12.2014)

Russian President Vladimir Putin expects that the Mistral-class helicopter carriers' delivery contract will be fulfilled.

MOSCOW, December 6 (Sputnik) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he has not discussed Mistral-class helicopter carriers' delivery to Russia with his French counterpart Francois Hollande during a meeting on Saturday, but Moscow expects that the contract will be implemented.

"We have not discussed Mistral, we haven't even mentioned them. There is a contract, this is a legal document, and we proceed from the assumption that it will be implemented. I haven't asked president [Hollande] any questions, haven't said anything," Putin stated.

"However, if not, then we will have no major complaints, but of course we hope that the money that we paid under this contract will be returned to us," the Russian leader added.

"For now we understand everything, and will understand every development of events on this topic," he concluded.

Russia and France signed a $1.6 billion deal for two Mistral-class ships in June 2011. The handover of the first ship was scheduled for mid-November, but never happened. French President Francois Hollande put the delivery on hold, citing the situation in eastern Ukraine as the reason behind the decision.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced on Friday that the two Mistral warships France agreed to sell to Russia would possibly never be delivered. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov responded to the announcement saying that the cancellation will undermine France's reputation.

Hollande has arrived in Moscow earlier on Saturday to hold a short meeting with Vladimir Putin. The sides have not discussed the Mistral delivery, but focused on the Ukrainian crisis, as well as on Iranian nuclear program and situation in Syria.

"We have discussed the bilateral relations, problems of settlement [of crisis] in Syria, have spoken about the process around Iranian nuclear program," Putin told journalists following the talks.

Russian leader concluded that the meeting was very constructive.

© Sputnik