The Hindu : Front Page : India, France sign accords

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 21, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

India, France sign accords

Amit Baruah

France ready to give nuclear power plants, fuel

CLINCHING A DEAL: Manmohan Singh with French President Jacques Chirac during their joint press conference after signing an agreement at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Monday. — Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh promised on Monday that any civil nuclear facilities that became available in future to India through international cooperation would be subject to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.

Speaking days before the arrival of United States President George W. Bush in New Delhi, Dr. Singh asserted in the presence of French President Jacques Chirac that India was committed to "honouring the letter and spirit" of the July 18, 2005 joint statement that contained the civil nuclear agreement.

After extensive talks between Dr. Singh and Mr. Chirac, India and France issued a declaration on "development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes," which held that future agreements, where applicable, would be subject to IAEA safeguards.

As per the declaration, France has expressed its willingness, subject to non-proliferation norms, toprovide nuclear power plants and supply nuclear fuel to India in the future. The declaration also envisages that the two countries will engage in the training of scientists and joint research activities.

All these will be subject to the two countries reaching an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation in future that presumably will come after the Nuclear Suppliers' Group lifts curbs on India.

A total of nine agreements, including one on defence cooperation, were signed in the presence of the two leaders in Hyderabad House. The defence agreement established a "framework" for cooperation between the two countries.

Both Dr. Singh and Mr. Chirac took questions on the bid by Holland-based Mittal Steel to take over European steel maker, Arcelor, with the Prime Minister hoping that a "fair decision" acceptable to all stakeholders would be taken.

"Mittal's hostile bid"

The French President, however, asserted that Mr. L.N. Mittal's bid to take over Arcelor was a "hostile" one. Erroneously describing Mr. Mittal, who holds an Indian passport, as a British national, Mr. Chirac said he could not understand what the fuss was all about.

According to Mr. Chirac, no prior consultations had been made before Mr. Mittal's bid to take over Arcelor was presented. Conceding that Mr. Mittal had a right to make his offer, he felt that Europeans also were within their rights to safeguard jobs.

Mr. Chirac observed he was not aware of the contents of the "hostile bid." Saying that Mr. Mittal was an Indian-born British national, he said he had nothing in principle against a "non-European" bidding for a European company.

oth Dr. Singh and Mr. Chirac asserted that the two sides had a near total convergence of views on international issuesOn the civil nuclear issue, Mr. Chirac said he understood India's concerns and constraints.

Asked whether France was supporting India's stand on civil nuclear cooperation with future commercial deals in mind, he said this had nothing to do with France's economic interests. Of course, he hoped there would be greater cooperation between France and India in the civil nuclear field.

Mr. Chirac said French support for the Indian position on the nuclear issue flowed from moral principles.

India should be able to produce the nuclear energy it needed. This would also avoid India becoming a bigger producer of greenhouse gases.

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