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Russia-France Mistral dispute

Russian lawmaker says France must pay in full for severing Mistral contract

Media reports said France sent proposals implying the return of about €785 million to Russia

MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/. The first deputy chief of the United Russia faction in the State Duma, the Russian parliament, Frants Klintsevich, believes that France must pay everything it should for severing the contract for delivering the helicopter-carrying amphibious assault ships Mistral.

"The affair is breaking the rules of common decency," said Klintsevich, a member of the State Duma’s defence committee.

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He is certain that France is entirely to blame for the Mistral affair and should pay the full cost of severing the contract. As much as Russia demands. Bargaining is inappropriate," Klintsevich said.

Earlier on Friday the daily Kommersant quoted "sources in the sphere of military-technical cooperation" as saying that France had addressed Russia with its proposals for severing the contract for the supply of two Mistral ships to Russia.

These proposals "imply the return of about €785 million to Russia, which it will be able to get back only after the government has issued permission to selling the ships to any third party without any reservations," the daily said, adding that Moscow was reportedly against such an approach. According to the paper Russia estimates the spending on and losses from the abortive contract at €1.163 billion and is not going to issue any re-export permissions until it has the money back.

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