Bulgaria, France Negotiate Corvettes Deal by End-07

Business | October 4, 2007, Thursday // 00:00
Bulgaria: Bulgaria, France Negotiate Corvettes Deal by End-07 French President Nicolas Sarkozy (L) conferred with Bulgaria's Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev (next to him) at the end of his firs official visit to Sofia on Thursday. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who arrived on his first official visit to the capital Sofia on Thursday, made an important step towards securing a deal for four military corvettes for the Bulgarian navy.

"By the end of this year the two sides will consider a framework for an agreement on the procurement of four corvettes for the Bulgarian Navy," Sarkozy said after conferring with Bulgaria's Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev.

In his words an expert group will discuss the financial conditions and distribution of work between the Varna shipyard and France.

"We consider France to be our strategic partner and will be looking for working mechanisms of cooperation," Stanishev commented.

The prime minister underlined that a series of projects, including the procurement of new helicopters for the Bulgarian army in a EUR 360 M offset deal, is progressing according to plan.

Stanishev stressed that Bulgaria and France have common visions for the future of nuclear energy industry in the European Union and will step up their cooperation in this area.

"Our Bulgarian friends favour nuclear energy industry development and we have big projects for implementing French nuclear technologies in Bulgaria," Nicolas Sarkozy said.

He added that he has proposed more discussions on common agricultural policy, particularly during the term of France presidency of the EU.

In an advance interview granted to four Bulgarian newspapers, Sarkozy qualified Bulgaria as an "important partner" for France in the areas of common agricultural, defence and nuclear energy policies.

"I think we should step up cooperation in each of those areas, and I will propose both to President Parvanov and Prime Minister Stanishev that we do so," the French president was quoted as saying.

He declined to go into too much detail concerning the putative deal which could see France sell to Bulgaria four last-generation Gowind corvettes for a reported EUR 750 M, to be offset by heavy French investment in Bulgarian shipbuilding.

"I don't have a habit of interfering with ongoing trade negotiations. But anything that brings France and Bulgaria closer is a good thing, including in this case, because it is a choice that could bring a lot of positives to both countries," said Sarkozy.

Bulgaria has to modernise its armed forces in line with NATO standards, having joined the organisation in 2004, but so far has only bought one refurbished Belgian frigate ship.

It has been in talks to buy four Gowind corvettes, built by French company Armaris, a joint venture of shipbuilder DCN with electronics and defence firm Thales, for more than two years now.

Sarkozy agenda was a lot busier than expected of a courtesy visit, having received the invitation of grateful Bulgarian officials after the French president and his spouse Cecilia played a key role in the release of six Bulgarian medics from Libya.

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