New Delhi, Oct 14: Negotiations with Russia on the acquisition of aircraft carrier 'Admiral Gorshkov' are on the verge of completion and a final decision might be taken during the visit of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to that country next month, Defence Minister George Fernandes said today. "The price negotiations took a lot of time, but all negotiations and the paperwork being done here are on the verge of completion. Some technicalities had arisen and it will now be possible to resolve them," Fernandes told reporters after inaugurating the two-day commanders' conference of the Coast Guards here.
He said if price negotiations and other details are worked out earlier, a decision could be taken during the Prime Minister's Russia visit, though the finalisation of the deal was not connected with it and there was no time-frame fixed.
Vajpayee's visit is scheduled to start on November 11, while Russian Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov will be here next month before the Prime Minister leaves for Moscow. The Russian side has recently said they hoped to finalise the Gorshkov deal within this year.
Fernandes said the coast guards would place orders for 16 modern ships before the end of the current fiscal.
Asked about the scorpion submarine deal with France, he said "it is yet to be finalised".
Bureau Report