Sarkozy eyes defence deals in Dec India visit

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will visit India in December, officials said on Tuesday, with an eye on increasing French firms' share of the country's 10-year $50-billion defence spending. Indian Foreign Ministry officials said the visit will take place tentatively on December 6-7, but the dates are to be confirmed. French daily newspaper La Tribune reported the state visit, initially planned for spring, will take place from December 4-7. France had just one major contract in 2005 to supply submarines worth $2.5 billion. The one (contract) that is advanced enough to be signed during the visit is the modernisation of 51 Mirage 2000-H for 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion), the paper said. 

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