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| Dassault Rafale MMRCA Fighter (File Photo) |
NEW DELHI, DELHI PROVINCE — French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Friday that talks over a $12 billion deal to sell Rafale jets to India were progressing well and that a new bilateral pact would underwrite the deal.
India initially set a target of the end of last year to conclude the purchase of the 126 aircraft, one of the biggest-ever defense deals, but deadlines have repeatedly slipped.
With India set to go to the polls for national elections in the first half of next year, experts believe the chances of a speedy conclusion are dwindling.
“I will not be announcing the date for signing the contract but I would like you to know that the negotiations are going well and I have full confidence,” Le Drian told reporters during a trip to New Delhi.
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