The Economic Times
India, France ink nuclear deal 1 Oct, 2008, 0444 hrs IST, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: Ending 34 years of nuclear isolation and formally bringing the country into the nuclear mainstream, India signed its first agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation with France for supply of reactors and nuclear fuel.
France becomes the first Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) country to formalise its intention of entering into civilian nuclear cooperation with India as the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal is still awaiting US Congressional approval.
The agreement, which is the first of many steps towards opening up of the Indian civilian nuclear sector to international nuclear trade, was signed after a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and French President Nicholas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace.
"France is the first country with whom we have entered into such an agreement after the lifting of international restrictions on civil nuclear cooperation with India by the NSG. I conveyed to President Sarkozy our gratitude for France's consistent support to our civil nuclear initiative," Mr Singh said after the cooperation agreement was signed by Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar and French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner.
Mr Singh said that India would soon finalise agreements with other European countries. The India-France agreement on the "development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy", which is a political framework agreement, covers a range of areas of cooperation from nuclear safety to reactor and fuel supplies.
"This agreement will form the basis of wide ranging bilateral cooperation from basic and applied research to full civil nuclear cooperation including reactors , nuclear fuel supply, nuclear safety, radiation and environment protection and nuclear fuel cycle management," a statement on the agreement said.
The statement further said that France and India shared `` common objectives'' in the area of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery including in view of possible linkages to terrorism.
`As responsible states with advanced nuclear technologies, including in the nuclear fuel cycle, France and India are interested to promote nuclear energy with the highest standards of safety and security and in accordance with their respective nuclear policies and international obligations,'' statement said.
The Indian establishment was looking at signing the nuclear agreement with the US last week. But the US Congress delay in ratifying the deal had ensured that Mr Singh and US President George W Bush were unable to sign the deal during their meeting in Washington.
Indian officials have said that even though India is entering into an agreement with France, it would be some time before actual cooperation starts.
India still needs to sign the IAEA safeguards agreement, separate its civilian and military reactors , complete negotiations on an additional protocol with the IAEA and amend its own laws to allow private participation in the nuclear field. Source said that this could take anything from a year to two years.
French energy firm Areva is already in preliminary discussion with Nuclear Power Corporation of India to sell two reactors. An Areva spokeswoman said the company is planning to sell two third-generation European Pressurised Reactors and a supply of nuclear fuel to India.
In all 35 French firms are eyeing the civilian nuclear sector in India. But India has also assured the US government that US firms will not be disadvantaged.
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