By Pierre Tran and Vivek Raghuvanshi
PARIS AND NEW DELHI — Dassault Aviation expects India to sign a contract for Rafale fighter jets in a month’s time, following Monday’s signing of an intergovernmental, with France opening the door to the sale of 36 Rafale fighters, the aircraft builder said.
France saw the signing as a big step forward but the financial negotiations remain to be closed, said President François Hollande, Reuters reported.
“During French President François Hollande's visit to India, French and Indian government authorities signed an intergovernmental agreement paving the way for the conclusion of a contract for the sale of 36 Rafale fighters to India,” Dassault said in a statement. “Dassault Aviation is very pleased with this progress, and is actively supporting French authorities in their efforts to finalize a complete agreement within the next four weeks.”
Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian signed the intergovernmental agreement with his Indian counterpart, reported daily Le Figaro, owned by the Dassault family.
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