M33

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Egypt to Pay $1 Billion for France’s Mistral Warships

(Reuters) – France has agreed to sell two Mistral helicopter carriers to Egypt for 950 million euros ($1.06 billion) after their sale to Russia was canceled in August, French officials said on Wednesday. Cairo has sought to boost its military power in the face of a two-year insurgency based across the Suez Canal in the Sinai peninsula and fears the conflict in neighboring Libya could spill over. Egypt’s allies are also keen to burnish its image in a region beset by turmoil. “We unwound the contract we had with Russia, on good terms, respectful of Russia and not suffering any penalty for France,” Hollande told reporters on his arrival at an EU summit in Brussels. “Yesterday, I agreed the price and conditions of this sale with (Egyptian) President (Abdel Fattah al-) Sisi and so France will ensure the delivery of these ships without losing anything, while helping protect Egypt.” A French defense ministry source said the contract was worth about 950 million euros, but unlike the deal with Moscow would not include any technology transfer. As of yet there had been no talks on the potential armament for the carrier, which can hold up to 16 helicopters and 1,000 troops. http://gcaptain.com/egypt-to-pay-1-billion-for-frances-mistral-warships/#.VgTf4N-vG9I

France May Have Found a Buyer for Its Two Mistral Warships

(Reuters) – France is confident it will wrap up the sale of two Mistral warships to a new buyer in the next few weeks after it cancelled their delivery to Russia, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told the newspaper Le Monde. “Several countries have lined up to buy the two boats,” Le Drian said in an interview published on Friday. “I am rather optimistic about the fact we’ll find a buyer in the coming weeks.” Sources close to the matter told Reuters last month that France was in talks to sell the two helicopter carriers to Egypt after their sale to Russia was cancelled. Cairo has sought to boost its military power in the face of a two-year-old insurgency based in the Sinai peninsula and a conflict in neighbouring Libya that could spill over into Egypt. A sale would also fit France’s recent strategy of favouring predominantly Sunni Arab nations, both politically and commercially, over their Shi’ite rival Iran. http://gcaptain.com/france-may-have-found-a-buyer-for-its-two-mistral-warships/#.VgJFHt-vG9I

For sale: two French warships with a negotiable price

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1cace11e-3c37-11e5-bbd1-b37bc06f590c.html#ixzz3i7dj016y