karatecatman Guest
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 2:42 pm Post subject: After CVC red-flag, India cancels chopper deal |
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www.indianexpress.com/story/247611.html
After CVC red-flag, India cancels chopper deal, France and Germany both protest
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PRANAB DHAL SAMANTA & MANU PUBBY
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 6: Within hours of India deciding to re-tender the $600 million deal for supply of 197 light helicopters to the Army, France turned on the heat through diplomatic channels and immediately registered a protest against the decision as Eurocopter had been selected after technical trials.
It’s learnt that Indian Ambassador to France, Ranjan Mathai, was called to the French foreign office to convey the protest. Sources said Paris feels it was not fair to scrap the bid, especially after Eurocopter had been cooperative in the trials.
Diplomatic reverberations, sources said, were also felt in Germany where authorities had got in touch with the Indian Embassy in Berlin on the issue. Eurocopter, which was originally a French company is now spread across major countries in Europe.
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www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1137729
Good news for Uncle Sam, govt ditches Eurocopter
Josy Joseph
Friday, December 07, 2007 03:57 IST
Americans had lobbied against the move
Curiously, the decision comes at a time when the internal political situation has created uncertainty about the Indo-US nuclear deal, and Indo-Russian relations have nose-dived.
Sources among the Europeans here told DNA the decision would anger the German and French governments, who have stake in EADS.
The decision comes after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured German chancellor Angela Merkel in the last week of October that the deal was on.
Also, it comes a few days after Indian defence secretary Vijay Singh was told in an official communication by his French counterpart that they hope to sign the deal when French president Nicolas Sarkozy comes to India next month as the chief guest of the Republic Day parade.
Once again the American hand, say most. |
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