France keen on N-deal with India, but after IAEA pact

France keen on N-deal with India, but after IAEA pact
PTI

NEW DELHI: Ahead of French President Nicholas Sarkozy’s visit to India, France on Friday expressed keenness to negotiate an agreement with India on the lines of the 123 agreement, but only after the latter successfully concluded a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, who met PM Manmohan Singh on Friday, held talks with external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee to discuss the issue of civilian nuclear cooperation between the two countries.
Although supporting the deal, France, like other countries, expressed inability to move forward on the issue until India completed its negotiations with IAEA and secured the NSG waiver.

Mr Kouchner indicated that France would like to sign a bilateral pact during President Sarkozy’s visit to India in January as the chief guest at the Republic Day function. “We are in favour of initialing a sort of future agreement (with India) like America wants to do (with India) on civil nuclear power,” Mr Kouchner said, and added, “Even if a protocol is ready, we have to wait for India’s IAEA pact.”

During bilateral talks Mr Mukherjee apprised his French counterpart about the latest developments in the talks between India and the IAEA on the safeguards agreement. “We are waiting to have clear situation in terms of international law,” Mr Kouchner said after talks.

Mr Kouchner, a co-founder of the Nobel prize-winning Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), said that France is in favour of India getting back to the international nuclear power option. He said that France has 56 nuclear power stations that provides 90% of the country’s power. “We have always been in favour of offering nuclear power. With the money from nuclear power we are developing research on sustainable energy,” he said.

Mr Kouchner, talking about Mr Sarkozy’s visit, said the two countries were working on a number of agreements to be signed during Mr Sarkozy’s visit. “We have a lot of projects and we are eager to see their results during the visit of the President,” he said. “Some agreement will have to be ready and some not. We have to speed it up,” he added. Mr Kouchner said President Sarkozy’s visit would give a boost to new strategic equations between India and France and highlight a common approach towards global issues like UN reforms and climate change.

Mr Kouchner expressed disappointment with the Indian government decision to cancel the $600 million tender for the purchase of 197 Fennec helicopters due to “procedural questions”. He said that the company would participate in the new bidding process and is confident of winning the deal. “We will certainly win the new bidding process,” he added.

When asked whether France was satisfied with the reason given by the Indian government for scraping the deal, he replied: “I am not satisfied.”