21.   But Aerospatiale, which has major defence interests and is at the centre of a massive plan to restructure the French defence effort around French companies, is hostile.

22.   But Scotland held on and broke out for Cronin to score his second try after selling the French defence an outrageous dummy.

23.   But the Arsenal star was pushed out towards the corner flag by the French defence.

24.   Chirac announced a far-reaching reform of French defence last February with the aim of finding partners at European level for some of its loss-making defence industries.

25.   Chirac is working on a reorganisation of French defence, notably abandoning conscription.

26.   The six civilians were French defence ministry officials working for the DGA arms procurement office.

27.   The signing ceremony was witnessed by Syed Hamid and visiting French Defence Minister Charles Millon, who is the first French defence minister to visit Malaysia.

28.   The talks are the latest in several days of exchanges among the defence ministries of the three countries, the French defence ministry said.

29.   There will also be a drastic restructuring of French defence industries to encourage mergers at European level to establish multinationals capable of competing with the American defence industry.

30.   The talks are the latest in several days of exchanges among the respective defence ministries of the three countries, the French defence ministry said.