France’s Hollande in Qatar fighter to oversee jet deal May 4, 2015 - 12:15 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - French President Francois Hollande arrived in Qatar on Monday, May 4, to oversee the signing of a multi-billion-euro deal to sell 24 Rafale fighter jets to the gas-rich emirate, AFP reported. The 6.3-billion-euro ($7-billion) agreement includes an order for 24 jets manufactured by French defence group Dassault with an option on a further 12 planes. Hollande will meet Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani before flying to Saudi Arabia to attend a key Gulf Cooperation Council summit there on Tuesday -- a first for a Western head of state. Hollande is set to discuss with Sheikh Tamim the several crises rocking the region, including the weeks-long Saudi-led coalition aerial campaign on anti-government rebels in Yemen. Hollande heads to Riyadh later Monday to hold talks with Saudi King Salman. In addition to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Having struggled for years to sell any of its Rafale jets abroad, Dassault has recently scored several lucrative, high-profile contracts with Egypt, India, and now Qatar. Accompanied by Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Hollande will attend a signing ceremony for the Rafale contract on Monday. A separate agreement will see France train 36 Qatari pilots and around 100 mechanical engineers, as well as intelligence officers. Rafale jets can be used for reconnaissance missions. France may soon be celebrating another fighter jet deal as negotiations with the UAE appear to be headed in the "right direction", according Fabius. Le Drian, whose several previous trips to the Middle East have mostly been confidential, met Sunday with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and UAE deputy armed forces chief Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. The pair discussed "mutual cooperation in military defence" including possible training deals, according to the official WAM news agency. Related links:   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims  Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide.Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed.Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham).Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |
