French sale of warship to Russia raises fears in Georgia
French president Nicolas Sarkozy approved the sale of one Mistral assault ship after months of discussions.
Russian naval officials then submitted a request for three more which is being considered.
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Hide AdThe Mistral can anchor in coastal waters and deploy troops on land, a capacity the Russian navy lacks at present. Russia's navy chief said last year that a ship such as the Mistral would have allowed the Russian navy to mount a much more efficient action in the Black Sea during the Georgia-Russia war in 2008.
The deal has prompted concern from Georgia and from the United States.
During a recent visit to Paris, US defence secretary Robert Gates told his French counterpart, Herv Morin, that he was concerned about the Mistral sale, a US official said.
Temur Yakobashvili, the Georgian cabinet minister for reintegration, who is in charge of issues related to separatist regions, said: "I believe that it's not a good idea to sell such ship to a country that has occupied another nation's territory."