MOSCOW, July 22 (RIA Novosti) – Paris has to comply with its obligations under the Mistral helicopter carrier contract, signed with Russia, instead of blackmailing Moscow with sanctions and actions for nondelivery, Adm. Vladimir Komoedov, chairman of the defense committee of the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, said on Tuesday.
“[France] must follow the agreements instead of ‘poking’ Russia. Marx's formula ‘commodity-money-commodity’ has not been refuted,” Komoedov, a former Black Sea Fleet commander, said.
Eventually, Russia will be able to build its own helicopter carriers ships, Komoedov said, adding that such projects already exist.
"The West didn’t like Russia as an empire or a socialist state, it doesn’t like Russia as a capitalist democracy either," the admiral said.
"Russia has its own position, its own opinion, and it will defend its interests," Komoedov stressed.
French President Francois Hollande said earlier that France, under new sanctions against Russia, might suspend the delivery of the second Mistral warship to the Russian Navy.
Russia and France signed a $1.6 billion deal for two Mistral-class helicopter carriers in June 2011.
Under the contract, the first ship, the Vladivostok, is to be delivered to Russia by the end of the year, while the second, the Sevastopol, is due in 2015.
The ships are capable of carrying 16 helicopters, four landing craft, 70 armored vehicles and 450 soldiers, and are expected to be deployed in Russia’s Pacific Fleet.
