France looks forward to signing N-agreement with India
With the NSG allowing New Delhi to have civil nuclear trade with the international community, France is looking forward to signing an agreement with India in the field.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: With the NSG allowing New Delhi to have civil nuclear trade with the international community, France is looking forward to signing an agreement with India in the field which would involve assured fuel supplies, new technology and possibly the reprocessing facility.
French Ambassador Jerome Bonafont, however, was evasive on whether the agreement, which has already been initialled, would be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Paris on September 30.
"We welcome that consensus (at the NSG) which meets the non-proliferation goals, sovereignty of India and opens way for cooperation between India and the world.
"End of this process is the beginning of a new chapter in which France very much desires to be a key partner," Bonafont told reporters here amid preparations for Singh's two-day visit to France from September 29.
Noting that the Indo-French civil nuclear agreement was initialled during the visit of President Nicolas Sarkozy here in January, he said the pact is "technically ready" but "some procedures" were yet to be completed which is being done.
"We are discussing with the Indian government the best time for signing the agreement," he said. He, however, added that civil nuclear cooperation will be high on agenda of discussions that Singh will have with Sarkozy during their bilateral summit meeting in Paris.
His evasiveness may be seen in the context of India having given an informal assurance to the US that it will not sign bilateral civil nuclear agreement with any other country till the 123 pact is considered by the American Congress.
French Ambassador Jerome Bonafont, however, was evasive on whether the agreement, which has already been initialled, would be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Paris on September 30.
"We welcome that consensus (at the NSG) which meets the non-proliferation goals, sovereignty of India and opens way for cooperation between India and the world.
"End of this process is the beginning of a new chapter in which France very much desires to be a key partner," Bonafont told reporters here amid preparations for Singh's two-day visit to France from September 29.
Noting that the Indo-French civil nuclear agreement was initialled during the visit of President Nicolas Sarkozy here in January, he said the pact is "technically ready" but "some procedures" were yet to be completed which is being done.
"We are discussing with the Indian government the best time for signing the agreement," he said. He, however, added that civil nuclear cooperation will be high on agenda of discussions that Singh will have with Sarkozy during their bilateral summit meeting in Paris.
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His evasiveness may be seen in the context of India having given an informal assurance to the US that it will not sign bilateral civil nuclear agreement with any other country till the 123 pact is considered by the American Congress.
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