more-inThe Union government cannot disclose details of the Rafale deal as India and France had recently signed an agreement to protect classified information exchanged between the two sides, according to officials. The government told Parliament this week that the two sides signed the agreement when French President Emmanuel Macron visited India on March 10. This new treaty would replace an agreement of 2008 and is the reason why the government would not disclose details of the deal for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighters from France, officials point out. This agreement replaces the confidentiality agreement signed between the two sides during the UPA regime in 2008. The new agreement is significant in the wake of Opposition parties, especially the Congress, alleging a major financial scandal in the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets.

Source: The Hindu March 29, 2018 16:48 UTC