Russia Sends France Formal Inquiry on Non-Delivery of Mistral Warship
Russia cannot accept oral explanations from individual French politicians of why the warship was not delivered on time, even if that politician is the countryās president, a senior Defense Ministry official states.
MOSCOW, January 13 (Sputnik) ā Moscow has sent Paris an official inquiry forĀ an explanation ofĀ why a Mistral helicopter carrier was not delivered toĀ Russia according toĀ an earlier signed agreement, a high-ranking official fromĀ the Russian Defense Ministryās Federal Service forĀ Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) said Tuesday.
āThe FSMTC has sent an inquiry toĀ the DGA [Direction Generale de lāArmement] inĀ order toĀ receive an official response toĀ the issue,ā the official told RIA Novosti.
The official said that Russia could not accept oral explanations fromĀ individual French politicians ofĀ why the warship was not delivered onĀ time, even if that politician is the countryās president.
“In order toĀ take further actions, turning toĀ the court or giving France more time [to comply], Russia needs toĀ have a written explanation ofĀ the situation,” the official said.
According toĀ the terms ofĀ the $1.5-billion contract signed inĀ June 2011, the Russian Navy was due toĀ receive the first ofĀ the two Mistral-class helicopter carriers, the Vladivostok, fromĀ Paris byĀ November 14. However, French President Francois Hollande put the transfer onĀ hold, citing Russia’s alleged role inĀ the ongoing Ukrainian crisis.
Moscow has repeatedly denied its involvement inĀ the Ukrainian conflict and warned Paris that it would face large penalties should it fail toĀ deliver onĀ its contractual obligations.
In early January, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that France would deliver the Mistral ships toĀ Russia when a respected ceasefire and a political road map forĀ the permanent settlement ofĀ the conflict inĀ eastern Ukraine were achieved.An armed conflict inĀ Ukraine erupted inĀ April 2014, when Kiev launched a military operation toĀ suppress independence supporters inĀ the Luhansk and Donetsk regions who refused toĀ recognize the new central government that was brought toĀ power followingĀ a coup inĀ February.
The ceasefire deal betweenĀ the warring parties inĀ Ukraineās Donbas region was reached duringĀ Minsk talks inĀ September 2014. However, both Kiev and independence supporters inĀ the countryās east have claimed numerous violations ofĀ the ceasefireregime, accusing each other ofĀ breaking the truce.
