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Hollande, on visit to India, says jet deal will take time

CHANDIGARH (India) — France’s President Francois Hollande played down the prospects of a swift conclusion to a drawn-out deal for New Delhi to buy 36 French fighter jets as he began a three-day visit to India today (Jan 24).

French President Francois Hollande delivers a speech during an award ceremony in Colmar, France, and following the inauguration of the Unterlinden Museum on  Jan 23, 2016. Photo: Reuters

French President Francois Hollande delivers a speech during an award ceremony in Colmar, France, and following the inauguration of the Unterlinden Museum on Jan 23, 2016. Photo: Reuters

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CHANDIGARH (India) — France’s President Francois Hollande played down the prospects of a swift conclusion to a drawn-out deal for New Delhi to buy 36 French fighter jets as he began a three-day visit to India today (Jan 24).

The invitation for Mr Hollande to be chief guest at India’s Republic Day military parade tomorrow had raised expectations that the multi-billion-dollar agreement for the Rafale jets would finally be nailed down.

But in an interview published hours ahead of his arrival, Mr Hollande warned that while negotiations were making progress, agreement on the final details would still take time.

The President told the Press Trust of India the deal “was a major project for India and France” that would “pave the way for an unprecedented industrial and technological cooperation” for the next four decades.

“Agreeing on the technicalities of this arrangement obviously takes time, but we are on the right track,” said Mr Hollande.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in Paris last year that his government had agreed to buy the jets as India looks to modernise its Soviet-era military, in part to keep up with neighbouring Pakistan and China.

The two leaders stepped into the long-delayed deal last year after negotiations over a much-larger agreement first signed with France’s Dassault Aviation in 2012 broke down.

An ongoing sticking point has been New Delhi’s standard requirement that arms makers invest a percentage of the value of any major deal in India, known as the offset clause.

Mr Hollande began his second official visit to India by touring the northern city of Chandigarh, designed by French architect Le Corbusier more than 60 years ago.

He met Mr Modi for a stroll through Chandigarh’s renowned rock garden, with its sculptures made out of rubble from the city’s construction.

In a tweet posted as Mr Hollande landed, Mr Modi said he was “honoured; delighted to have him as the chief guest for Republic Day celebrations”. “We will build on the ground covered during our previous interactions,” Mr Modi added.

Today, the leaders are expected to announce a roadmap for building six French nuclear reactors in western Maharashtra state, more than five years after a bilateral civil nuclear cooperation agreement was signed, according to the Times of India.

Security will be high on the agenda after the deadly Islamist attacks in Paris in November that evoked memories of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which left 166 people dead.

“India and France are confronted with similar threats: We are attacked by murderers who pretend to act on a religious basis. Their real objective is widespread hate,” Mr Hollande told Indian media. “They want to undermine our democratic values and our way of life. India and France are united in their determination to act together against terrorism.”

India launched a nationwide security crackdown in the lead-up to Republic Day celebrations, arresting a string of suspected Islamic militants during raids in four states.

Security was tight ahead of Mr Hollande’s arrival, with armed police and paramilitary forces patrolling the streets of Chandigarh. 

Mr Hollande and Mr Modi are expected to sit side by side to watch Tuesday's spectacle of military might — which includes columns of soldiers and Soviet-era tanks — along New Delhi’s central Rajpath avenue.

The parade is the highlight of the annual celebrations of the birth of modern India. US President Barack Obama was last year’s chief guest. AFP

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