Moscow has sent Paris an official inquiry for an explanation of why a Mistral helicopter carrier was not delivered to Russia according to an earlier signed agreement, a high-ranking official from the Russian Defense Ministry’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) said Tuesday.
“The FSMTC has sent an inquiry to the DGA [Direction Generale de l’Armement] in order to receive an official response to the issue,” the official told RIA Novosti.
The official said that Russia could not accept oral explanations from individual French politicians of why the warship was not delivered on time, even if that politician is the country’s president.
“In order to take further actions, turning to the court or giving France more time [to comply], Russia needs to have a written explanation of the situation,” the official said.
According to the terms of the $1.5-billion contract signed in June 2011, Paris was due to deliver the first of the two Mistral-class helicopter carriers, the Vladivostok, to the Russian Navy by November 14. However, French President Francois Hollande put the transfer on hold, citing Russia’s alleged role in the ongoing Ukrainian crisis.
Moscow has repeatedly denied its involvement in the Ukrainian conflict and warned Paris that it would face large penalties should it fail to deliver on its contractual obligations.
