The government of Georgia has agreed to pay the Israeli defense contractor Elbit $35 million to settle a lawsuit.
In April, Elbit announced that it was suing Georgia for $100 million for failure to pay for equipment it bought in 2007. Neither side has commented much on the suit, but it would appear to be related to Georgia’s purchase of 40 Hermes 450 unmanned aircraft from Elbit. From an Elbit press release:
Elbit Systems Ltd. announced today, further to its announcement dated April 8, 2011 regarding the filing of a lawsuit against the Government of Georgia (“Georgia”), that the Company and Georgia have signed settlement agreements for settling all claims and disputes.
According to the settlement, Georgia will pay the Company an amount of approximately $35 million and will also return to the Company certain equipment and sub-systems, that were supplied to Georgia by the Company in the past, against the full release of the initial claims.
So are they returning any of the aircraft?
Earlier this month, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili also pardoned two Israeli businessmen and settled the case they were jailed for, an episode that had strained relations between the two countries. It’s not clear whether the Elbit settlement is related to that, but the timing is suggestive.
Source: Eurasia Net