The Mistrals: we reimburse! (Francois Hollande)
(BRUSSELS2) Confirmation came from the highest level of the State. French President François Hollande confirmed this Wednesday (April 22), during his joint press conference with Ukrainian President Poroshenko, at the Elysee Palace. If Mistral BPCs are not delivered to Russia, they will be refunded!
« If the boats are not delivered, I don't see how they can be paid for. It's a pretty simple principle. Either you deliver, you get paid, or you don't deliver, you have to reimburse what has been paid, in any case, you cannot ask to be paid more. With Russia, it's the same language. From this point of view, with President Putin, we are perfectly clear. According to the different hypotheses, you will have payment or reimbursement added the president.
This is the first time that the "reimbursement" hypothesis, which means the end of the contract, has been publicly mentioned by the French government. This confirms our information published earlier this week. Read : The Russian Mistrals are over… or almost? It comes just after the probable award to Airbus Helicopters of the Polish mega-contract for the Caracals. A kind of indirect compensation.
(NGV)
