MOSCOW (Sputnik) — French President Francois Hollande will make a decision on carrying out the delivery deal of the Mistral-class helicopter carriers with Russia in the coming weeks, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.
According to Hollande's statement at Monday's press conference, the French president will either "move the agreement forward" or terminate the deal.
Russia and France signed a $1.5-billion contract for the purchase of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers in 2011. However, in November 2014, France cancelled the contract, citing Moscow's alleged participation in Ukraine's internal conflict. Kremlin has repeatedly denied these groundless claims and pushed for peace in the war-torn nation.
According to French Defense Ministry, the failure to fulfil the contract with Russia is costing the French economy $1.3 billion.
