France looks forward to signing Nuke deal with India
Sunday, 14 September 2008
NEW DELHI, Sep 13 (PTI): 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 initiated 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.
To a question about reprocessing, the French envoy said India has the right to reprocess and it has the technology to do so.
"But, if request for reprocessing in France is made, we will consider," said Bonafont, in whose country nuclear power constitutes 80 per cent of total energy generation.
After the agreement is signed, the contracts would have provision for guaranteed fuel supplies, sources said.
France is particular to ensure that the reactors it sets up have enough fuel to run and provision of fuel is part of the agreement.
France also is unlikely to terminate its cooperation if India were to conduct a nuclear test as there is no such provision in the draft agreement, the sources said.
But France assumes that India will abide by its commitment to unilateral moratorium on testing and would not carry out a nuclear explosion.
Hailing India's track record on non-proliferation front, Bonafont said the waiver by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group came on the basis of New Delhi's commitments to non-proliferation goals and IAEA safeguards. "It is good news for us and the world besides India," he said.
He said the agreement would be comprehensive and would also involve cooperation in technology, research, training and safety aspects.
About 35 French companies have already explored possibilities of entering the Indian civil nuclear market.
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 initiated 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.
To a question about reprocessing, the French envoy said India has the right to reprocess and it has the technology to do so.
"But, if request for reprocessing in France is made, we will consider," said Bonafont, in whose country nuclear power constitutes 80 per cent of total energy generation.
After the agreement is signed, the contracts would have provision for guaranteed fuel supplies, sources said.
France is particular to ensure that the reactors it sets up have enough fuel to run and provision of fuel is part of the agreement.
France also is unlikely to terminate its cooperation if India were to conduct a nuclear test as there is no such provision in the draft agreement, the sources said.
But France assumes that India will abide by its commitment to unilateral moratorium on testing and would not carry out a nuclear explosion.
Hailing India's track record on non-proliferation front, Bonafont said the waiver by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group came on the basis of New Delhi's commitments to non-proliferation goals and IAEA safeguards. "It is good news for us and the world besides India," he said.
He said the agreement would be comprehensive and would also involve cooperation in technology, research, training and safety aspects.
About 35 French companies have already explored possibilities of entering the Indian civil nuclear market.