Our Correspondent /
French President Francois Hollande today affirmed that the Rs. 60,000 crore Rafale fighter jets deal with India was “on the right track”. He said, it would pave the way for an unprecedented industrial and technological bilateral cooperation for the next 40 years.
in an interview to a news agency Mr. Hollande said “we are on the right track” but agreed that on the technicalities of this arrangement obviously takes time. He also noted that Indo-French cooperation in defence “is part of our strategic partnership. It is based on trust, a very strong trust between both our countries.”
The deal for India to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to France last April.
He said, Indo-French relationship is based on shared values of freedom, democracy and progress. The French President said, he has also come to India to strengthen our relationship in several areas: defense, space and civil nuclear energy, as well as education, research, culture.