AP: France looking to sell new ships to Russia

French President François Hollande visited a shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, where he was received by angry unionists. – AFP

AP reports:

SAINT-NAZAIRE (AP) — France is looking to sell new ships to Russia in the future despite the cancellation of a controversial deal for two Mistral-class warships this year, French President Francois Hollande said Tuesday.

“Things went well with Russia, which has agreed to cancel the contract. And I even think we’ll get partnerships for new ships,” Hollande said during a visit to the shipyard of Saint-Nazaire in western France. He didn’t specify whether they could be military ships.

Hollande came aboard one of the warships that was originally named the Vladivostok, in reference to the Russian port. The inscription on the hull has been erased and replaced by grey paint. […]