Date:22/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/22/stories/2007122257570100.htm

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France for nuclear pact with India

Sandeep Dikshit

Eager to begin groundwork: Kouchner

NEW DELHI: French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Bernard Kouchner said on Friday that Paris was keen on having a pact with India for cooperation in the civil nuclear sector.

It wanted the groundwork to start soon so that the pact was ready by the time the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) accepted India as part of the nuclear mainstream, Mr. Kouchner said.

He was here to prepare the ground for French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s first visit to the country next month.

Mr. Kouchner said Paris wanted a small bilateral working group constituted to frame the modalities for the agreement. “We are eager to see concrete results. We are ready to set up a group,” he said.

“We are in favour of a future [bilateral] agreement on nuclear civil power but realise we have to wait till India gets the concurrence of bodies like the IAEA,” the Minister said.

The French offer came after Russia reiterated its willingness to sign a nuclear agreement with India without waiting for the concurrence of the IAEA and the NSG. The Hindu reported on Friday that a well-placed Russian official said both countries could sign an accord provided the operationalisation of the deal took place after the concurrence of the international organisations.

Mr. Kouchner said France had a dynamic civil nuclear industry. Its nuclear reactor company, Areva, recently won a multi-billion dollar deal for reactors from China. The country had 56 nuclear stations meeting 90 per cent of its electricity requirement.

He played down the last-minute loss of a mega army helicopter deal saying it was “not the end of the world.”

Speaking to newspersons after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Mr. Kouchner was confident that Eurocopter, with a substantial French stake, would win the fresh tender.

Mr. Kouchner told External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee that France was dissatisfied with the manner in which the helicopter tender was handled.

“We were absolutely sure our offer was exactly fitting with what you need. We will certainly win the next tender.” The Minister confessed that his staff were preparing documents for a contract-signing ceremony during Mr. Sarkozy’s visit when India announced the cancellation of the deal.