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Egypt agrees to buy Mistral warships France built for Russia

President Hollande and Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi 'have agreed on the principle and terms and conditions' says French presidency.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

Egypt is to buy the two Mistral warships that France built for Russia before scrapping the sale over the conflict in Ukraine. The French government said that no losses would be incurred on the deal, reports RFI.

French president François Hollande and Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi "have agreed on the principle and terms and conditions of Egypt's acquisition of the two Mistral class vessels", a statement by the French presidency said.

France was left with the helicopter-carriers on its hands after cancelling the deal to comply with European Union sanctions on Moscow over its annexation of Crimea and support for armed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The total deal was worth 1.2 billion euros and the 950 million euros Russia had already handed over are to be paid back.

Read more of this report from RFI.