India, France successfully conclude negotiations on $6 bn missile deal
India and France reiterated their commitment to the early implementation of the Jaitapur nuclear power project and speedy conclusion of the over $10.4 bn deal for 126 Rafale fighter jets on Thursday.
During talks between Prime minister Manmohan Singh and French President Francois Hollande, the two sides successfully concluded negotiations on the short Range Surface to Air Missile worth $ six billion and exchanged views on a number of bilateral, regional and multilateral issues.
Both countries inked agreements in the railway sector, a cultural exchange programme, a letter of intent on intensification of cooperation in the fields of education, higher education and research and a statement of intent for long-term cooperation in space.
"We reviewed progress on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project and reiterated our commitment to its early implementation.We expressed satisfaction with the progress in our defence cooperation, which is poised to reach a qualitatively new level," Singh told mediapersons at the joint media interaction at the end of delegation level talks.
According to Singh, "There is a welcome shift from defence trade to co-development and co-production of advanced defence items in India, which will help expand our domestic production base and strengthen the India-France strategic partnership."
Hollande, who arrived here early Thursday at the head of a high-level delegation which includes six ministers and a 50-member trade delegation, said France and India, which became strategic partners in 1998, are taking their relationship to "yet another stage".
The visiting leader said while France and India do not share the same kind of people or
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