Talks over Gorshkov's price likely to conclude: Naval chief
Press Trust of India / New Delhi Aug 27, 2009, 18:31 IST
Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta today said negotiations between India and Russia over price of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov could be concluded within next two days.
"Price negotiations are on with the Russian team which is in India. The negotiations committee is discussing it with them. The time frame (for price fixation) is very short, hopefully day after," Mehta told reporters here.
The ongoing negotiations are considered to be the last leg of the talks between the two countries on the cost of Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier - repair, refit and the final price of the warship, which is expected to be somewhere between $2.2 billion and $2.9 billion
India had bought Admiral Gorshkov in 2004 for $964 million and sent it for refit to the Sevmash Shipyard in Russia. That apart, India also bought 16 MiG29Ks to operate on the warship at a cost of $650 million.
Russia has thrice revised the price of the aircraft carrier, first demanding additional $1.5 billion in 2007, then revising it to $2.2 billion in 2008 and finally asking for $2.9 billion this February.
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