France keen on defence supplies to India

By K. K. Katyal

PARIS, APRIL 19. France has again conveyed its keenness on defence supplies to India. The response, as given by the President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan, is highly positive. However, issues such as the price factor have to be sorted out.

This became clear after Mr. Narayanan's talks with the French Prime Minister, Mr. Lionel Jospin, on Tuesday which focussed on specifics. France would also like to sell airbuses to Air India and Indian Airlines. Here again, India is agreeable but details will need to be negotiated. According to the French side, their products are excellent, their technology the most advanced and to cite one instance, they say their aircraft may be costlier but the accident rate was markedly low.

Mr. Narayanan is now in Toulouse, premier European centre for aeronautics - second only to Seattle in the world in this sector - because of the presence of Aerospatiale, Airbus Industrie and related ventures. The President visited the facilities of the first two and was given detailed presentations on the sites. This visit was considered significant in view of the French anxiety to push their relationship in the aviation sector.

Mr. Narayanan's talks with Mr. Jospin completed the top-level discussions, which began with the meeting with the French President, Mr. Jacques Chirac, on Monday.The French leaders were anxious to know the details of India's relationship with Pakistan and China. Mr. Narayanan explained New Delhi's approach to Pakistan - there was a willingness to resume the dialogue with the military regime in Islamabad but a proper climate needed to be created, with the cessation of cross-border terrorism which continued to take a heavy toll of innocent lives in Jammu and Kashmir. The French side, in the recent past, had exhorted India to re-start substantive contacts with Pakistan but, did not press the point this time, after the President explained the Indian position. India, the French side was told, was at ease with China, the bilateral ties being stable.

Interestingly, the French leaders wanted to know India's assessment of the situation in Russia, especially of the newly- elected President, Mr. Vladimir Putin. He, to them, was an unknown quantity and hence the anxiety to get India's perspective because of its special relationship with Moscow. Then there were inquiries about the recent visit of the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, with Mr. Narayanan saying it would have a beneficial effect on Indo-U.S. bilateral relations.

Mr. Chirac repeated the French view that it was in India's interest to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Such a step, it was pointed out, would help France extend cooperation to India in the civilian use of nuclear energy, especially in meeting India's needs of nuclear power, an area in which France possessed high expertise.

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