‘No Malaysia-France discussion on Mistral helicopter carrier’

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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia did not discuss with France about purchasing a Mistral helicopter carrier in the meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Tuesday.

Nor was the matter discussed during the meeting between Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and his French counterpart.

Hishammuddin said this in his twitter response to @WanKhairilAmmar who had posted a question: “H2O are we purchasing RM3 billion warship sir?.

Hishammuddin also referred to the French Minister’s reply to a similar question at a press conference that the matter was ‘not even discussed or even raised’.

Meanwhile, Le Drian, during his one-day visit here led French defence industry representatives to pay a courtesy call on Najib at the prime minister’s office in Perdana Putra, Putrajaya.

Later he attended a high profile joint defence meeting with Hishammuddin at Wisma Pertahanan here, where both ministers agreed to cooperate in strengthening intelligence sharing to counter the growing threat of IS, particularly in Sulu Waters. — Bernama