Впервые после январского облома. Индийская пресса о Горшке (+)
Имеет место прогресс в переговорах по цене, стороны толкаются в вилке 600-700 млн долларов. В сделку входят 30 МиГ-29К/КУБ и вертолеты. Пароход не нужен русским, но имеет большую ценность для Индии. Переговоры шли медленно из-за цены, бюрократических процедур и проблемы пакетной сделки, но после восьмилетнего базара ВМС Индии, возможно, наконец получат корабль
India) AFTER 8 YEARS, NAVY MAY FINALLY SAIL THE GORSHKOV
Financial Express
July 24, 2003
AFTER 8 YEARS, NAVY MAY FINALLY SAIL THE GORSHKOV
India and Russia have reached an agreement on purchase of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov. The deal was expected to be finalised by March-end but had been delayed over the issue of price. Sources said substantial progress had been made in price negotiations. The Russians were bargaining for more than
$ 700 million for modernising the aircraft carrier, while India was willing
to pay $ 600 million. Together with the ship, India will be supplied with 30
ship-based MiG-29K and MiG-19KUB fighters and helicopters. Defence minister
George Fernandes had earlier this year led a high-level delegation to the
third session of the Indo-Russian inter-governmental commission for
military-technical co-operation in Moscow. The focus of the negotiations was
to finalise the Gorshkov (Project 1143.4) deal which had been hanging for
many years. The commission was to fix the contract terms for delivering the
heavy ship. According to naval commentator Commodore (retd) Ranjit B Rai,
"in India no large defence deal gets closed with alacrity, due to cumbersome
procedures for negotiations and at times the inter-service and other
business rivalries and vested interests. In recent years the government has
also used the defence budget savings to reduce the national fiscal deficit
and postpone induction. The Gorshkov deal has suffered all these maladies."
Talks on the berthed 44,000-tonne Kiev-class aircraft carrier, useless for
the Russians and of great value to Indians, had been deadlocked not only
over the price but also over the 'basket' of equipment that India is being
asked to buy. Russia has offered the carrier to India for the cost of its
refit. The price negotiation for the carrier has been going on for several
years. In 2001, Russian deputy prime minister Ilya Klebanov had said Russia
was intending to conclude deal that year itself. The carrier was first
offered to India almost eight years ago at about $ 400 million.
