France to stop selling heavy military equipment to Pakistan: Report

France makes decision in order to ease Indian concerns and hopes to extend success with Indian armed forces contracts.

France has decided to stop selling heavy military equipment to Pakistan in an attempt ease Indian concerns and extend their success with contracts from India’s armed forces, reported Indian newspaper The Economic Times.

Defence Minister of France, Gerard Longuet, who is on a two day visit to India said his country did not want to be seen “feeding Pakistan’s military ambitions”.

He said that France had decided to discourage any requests for heavy equipment from Pakistan, mainly naval equipment.

India has recently shortlisted French Dassault’s Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon for a $12 billion dollar fighter jet deal, cutting out US giants Boeing and Lockheed. One of the most valuable and sought-after military contracts of recent years, the deal for 126 fighters has witnessed fierce competition between defence majors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin, Sweden’s Saab AB and the Russian makers of the MiG 35.