Ship-building companies of Russia's OSK and France's DCNS signed an agreement on forming a joint venture to build warships of the Mistral type, Interfax news agency reported on Monday.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, who is also the chairman of the OSK's board of directors, said that this agreement had opened a new stage in cooperation between ship-builders of Russia and Europe.

"This document creates the ground for cooperation between Russian and French ship-builders," Sechin said in St. Petersburg, where the agreement had been signed.

French government's representative general Benoit Puga, who also participated, confirmed that the joint venture had a good future, saying "it meets the interests of both states."

CEO of the OSK company, Roman Trotsenko, said that the consortium would build technologically advanced vessels first -- in particular, the ice-breakers.

"We will participate in all the projects that are profitable," he said. Earlier Trotsenko said that Russian company was capable to build a helicopter carrier of Mistral type in 30 months, but " the optimal decision would be a joint production".

In September, France proposed to build two Mistrals at its ship yards, in 36 and 12 months respectively. The other two helicopter carriers will be built in Russia.

The cost of building of one vessel of Mistral type is about 700 million U.S. dollars.