French President on Rafale deal: ‘This is a strategic coalition and not just an industrial relation’
Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron said, that ‘he was not In-charge at the time of agreement and have to refer to what Primer Modi clearly said few days ago’, when questioned about the role of Reliance in the Rafale fighter jet deal between India and France.
President Macron said, “I will be very clear. It was a government to government discussion and I just want to refer to what Prime Minister Modi very clearly said a few days ago”.
Emmanuel Macron became the President of France last year in May and the deal was signed on September 23, 2016 when Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi visited Paris.
He said, “I don’t have any other comments. I was not in charge at that time and I know that we have very clear rules”.
He added, “This one is very important to me because this is a strategic coalition and not just an industrial relation. This is my point. I just want to refer to what PM Modi said on this situation”.
#WATCH French President Emmanuel Macron on Rafale deal, says, “It was a govt to govt discussion. I just want to refer to what PM Modi very clearly said a few days ago. I was not in-charge at that time. I know that we have very clear rules.” (25.09.18) pic.twitter.com/qr0GgHsdoU
— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2018
India signed a deal with France for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation of France for nearly Rs 58,000 crore. Since the deal was signed, Indian opposition political parties are raising doubts on the deal that were fueled by the claims of former French President Francois Hollande that government of India proposed the name of Reliance Group as the Indian Industrial partner in the deal.
The report quoted Hollande as saying, “It was the Indian government that proposed this service group, and Dassault which negotiated with Ambani. We had no choice, we took the interlocutor who was given to us”.
In a statement Dassault said, “It provides for a separate contract in which Dassault Aviation commits to make compensation investments in India worth 50 percent of the value of the purchase”.
