France offers India long-term military-to-military cooperation
New Delhi, April 29, IRNA -- French Defense Minister Michele
Alliot-Marie on Monday met India's Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani
and Defense Minister George Fernandes to discuss wide-ranging issues
of international and regional importance.
She offered a long-term military-to-military cooperation on joint
development, technology transfer and sale of hi-tech weapons systems
to India.
Asserting that the move towards a multi-polar world was a must,
especially after the recent war in Iraq, the visiting French defense
minister said only those countries which had a credible defense
deterrent would be heard.
Declaring that in the present turmoil in international relations
forging of close military cooperation had become a necessity,
Alliot-Marie said Paris wanted deepening of the intensity of its
defense relations with New Delhi.
The French minister later told media persons that her country
looked forward to further intensifying existing ties with India.
On line with that objective, she referred to the ongoing
discussions about the possibility of India buying outright as well as
manufacturing, under technology-transfer arrangements with France,
Scorpene submarines as well as advanced Mirage 2000 aircraft.
An Indian decision on these could be realized by the end of the
year, she hoped.
Michele Alliot-Marie, who arrived here on Saturday on a three-day
official visit, held wide-ranging discussions with Defense Minister
George Fernandes on the global and regional security environment
including Afghanistan and Iraq.
Discussions were also held on bilateral relations as also on the
recent visit of Fernandes to China.
After the ministers' meeting, both sides met for delegation-level
talks where they were assisted by senior officials of the ministry as
well as defense wings.
The three Indian service chiefs--Chief of Army Staff General NC
Vij, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Madhvendra Singh and Air Chief Air
Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy--called on the visiting French defense
minister at South Block where earlier, on her arrival, she had been
presented a ceremonial guard of honor.
As the two countries were poised for the signing of an estimated
two-billion-dollar deal for the manufacture in India under licensed
production of six advanced diesel propelled Scorpene submarines, she
said France was committed to carrying out upgrades of its weapons
systems sold to India and maintaining them at optimal operational use.
She also said that France had offered the sale of its upgraded
Mirage 2000-5 to India along with technology transfer.
Paris has offered thermal imagers for India's Russian-made T-72
and T-90 tanks and angular determination system for artillery.
The two countries have recently stepped up joint naval and air
force exercises and India is one of France's biggest customers for
defense equipment.
Amongst the major defense contracts in the pipeline with India
are six new generation Scorpene submarines scheduled to be built at
the Mazagon Docks in Goa.
/LS
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