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Russian govt says no notification from France on suspension of Mistral delivery

“Legal consequences will spring up only when the French partners send an official paper to us saying they refuse to deliver the technology to us,” Oleg Bochkaryov said

© AP Photo/David Vincent, File

MOSCOW, September 03 /ITAR-TASS/. Russian government has not received official notification from France on the plans to suspend the delivery to Russia of the first helicopter carrier in the Mistral family or on renunciation of commitment to the agreement, Oleg Bochkaryov, a deputy chairman of the governmental commission for defense manufacturing told Itar-Tass.

Earlier in the day the Elysees Palace said in Paris President Francois Hollande had taken a decision to suspend the delivery of the first Mistral, which was initially scheduled for autumn.

The statement said the situation was not proper for delivery at the moment in the wake of aggravating tensions and fighting in Eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

“A contract with a precisely known French company exists and it was signed by a Russian state agency,” Bochkaryov said. “Legal consequences will spring up only when the French partners send an official paper to us saying they refuse to deliver the technology to us.”

He stressed Russia’s pertinent and scrupulous compliance with the terms of the contract.

“Our position is well-known - we don’t slam the doors, we close them but remain open for cooperation,” Bochkaryov said.

He indicated that Russian experts had rounded up acceptance inspection of another several stages of work at the helicopter carriers.

“They returned home just two days ago,” Bochkaryov said. “It’s too early to talk about court actions yet because we continue work in the format of this agreement.

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