Georgia to purchase two helicopters in France

Georgia will purchase two ‘Super Puma’ helicopters from the French
company Eurocopter. The agreement was signed in Paris on June 9th,
News Georgia reports.

The document was signed by the Georgian Deputy Economy Minister,
Georgiy Karbelashvili, and the executive director of Eurocopter,
Philip Arash. The signing took place within the framework of the visit
of Mikhail Saakashvili to France.

Super Puma is a multi-purpose helicopter. Its first flight was on 13th
September 1978, mass production started in 1980. The Super Puma has
been used for military and civilian purposes. Over 100 Super Pumas are
used in over 30 countries, Arash said.

Saakashvili said that they are purchasing the helicopters for rescue
operations in emergency situations, to provide medical help and
evacuation.

The president recalled that they had previous agreements with France
on equipping Tbilisi airport with radar systems. French specialists
are also working on improving the airport’s runway and reconstructing
the city’s water system.

The Georgian president spent the first half of the day at a meeting
with French Premier Alain Juppe, he is currently meeting with the
mayor of Bordeaux.