Everything is normal: France on Rafale deal

New Delhi: Putting a brave face despite the multi-billion dollar Rafale fighter jet contract flowing into rough weather, France on Wednesday claimed that everything is going "normal".

Interestingly, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will not be raising the issue of the much delayed Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) during his three day-visit beginning tomorrow.

"Clearly the defence procurement is not part of the agenda of this visit," said French sources refusing to comment on the Rafale deal.

Asked again, the sources said the exchanges between French and Indian sides continues. "Everything is at its normal path," they said.

India has made it clear that the ball is in France's court on the signing of the contract.

India is insisting that Dassault Aviation, which manufactures Rafale, cannot renege on the Request for Proposal (RFP) clauses, which it had initially agreed to.

They say France must stick to the price that it had quoted in the RFP and guarantee clause under which Dassault has to stand guarantee for the planes that would be manufactured by state-owned HAL.