Sale of Warship Would Set Ill Winds Blowing - Minister

Published: 27.12.2010 17:15

The Mistral helicopter carrier ( Photo: Reuters/Scanpix )

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Lithuanian Minister of Defense Rasa Jukneviciene has called France's decision to sell Mistral helicopter carriers to Russia a "big mistake."

Her comments came on December 27, three days after Russia and France agreed on the sale of at least two of the vessels. Baltic security is seen as potentially at stake in what would be an unprecedented sale of sophisticated assault weaponry to a country generally not considered up to the standards of European democracy.

Former Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Harri Tiido warned at the start of the year that the sale of the Mistral, which carries 16 helicopters and dozens of armored vehicles, would have repercussions for NATO's response in the region, creating a bizarre contradiction given that France is a member of the alliance. 

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