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Putin in France days after billion-dollar warship deal
Jun 21, 2011, 8:04 GMT
Paris - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was to hold talks Tuesday in Paris with President Nicolas Sarkozy and visit the Russian stand at the Paris Air Show on a one-day visit following shortly on the announcement of an arms deal between the two countries.
Last week Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced the purchase of two Mistral warships from France for 1.2 billion dollars.
The deal, which saw France agree to give Moscow access to cutting-edge military technology and which alarmed Russia's former Soviet neighbours, is expected to substantially strengthen Moscow's naval capacity.
The Mistral class is a category of transport and attack warship typically loaded with 16 helicopters, 450 troops, and assault boats.
Russia currently operates a single aircraft carrier, built in the 1980s.
Putin arrived in France Monday night, according to Russia's Itar-Tass news agency.
On Tuesday morning he and Prime Minister Francois Fillon will attend the unveiling of a monument in Paris to Russian soldiers who fought in France during World War 1.
Later in the day he will hold talks with Sarkozy.
Putin will also visit the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport north of Paris, where Russia is showing the Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional airline and the Be-200 amphibian plane.
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