“The negotiations are still going on and it is premature to talk about any possible court appeal,” Russia’s daily newspaper Kommersant quotes Isaykin as saying. “But I can assure you that Rosoboronexport is ready for any further development. The contract has all the necessary provisions regarding the force majeure and failure to fulfil any obligations of either side. So far the terms and conditions of the contract and its expiry date give us time to find a compromise without appealing to court or undertaking any strong actions. We will define all the necessary steps when the time goes out.”
Isaykin noted that the sides have two more months to find a decision.
“Probably we could find any compromise within the time left,” he said.
Russian state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport and French shipbuilder DCNS signed a $1.5-billion deal for two Mistral-class ships in June 2011.
France was expected to deliver the first of the two ships, Vladivostok, by November 14, 2014. However, on November 25, 2014, French President Francois Hollande said that the shipment would be suspended due to Moscow`s alleged interference in the Ukrainian internal crisis.
In January, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the Russian side had not ruled out the possibility of filing a suit against France within six months over its failure to deliver the Vladivostok ship, as the contract conditions remain unfulfilled.
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