French defence minister to visit India from May 26

Article Posted on : - May 24, 2011

The Rafale fighter.

NEW DELHI (PTI): French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet will be on a two-day visit to India from May 26 during which he will meet his Indian counterpart A K Antony and the three service chiefs.

Longuet's visit comes against the backdrop of France's Rafale fighter jet getting selected as the last two contenders for India's multi-billion dollar defence deal for Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA).

During the course of his visit, the French minister will also hold high-level meetings with senior government officials.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy had visited India in December 2010.

Out of the six contenders for the MMRCA deal, Rafale and EADS' Eurofighter Typhoon have been shortlisted by India for finalising the deal.

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