05 February 2004	Thursday	13 Zilhaj 1424

NEW DELHI, Feb 4: French naval shipbuilder DCN said on Wednesday it had completed negotiations with India on the building of six Scorpene submarines and was waiting New Delhi's final approval for the deal estimated at two billion euros (2.5 billion dollars).

"We are waiting for the signing of the contract. Everything is ready and negotiations have concluded and now it is in the hands of the Indian government," DCN's sales support director Frederic Ludet told a press conference in New Delhi.

Ludet is part of a delegation of 18 private and state-run French armament firms attending an international arms fair here with the hope of expanding business in India.

"There is no delay as each side takes time to study the quality of the offer and also signing of such large contracts depends on how much is allocated in defence budget of that year," said Jean-Marie Carnet, chief delegate of GICAN, an umbrella group of French naval companies.-AFP