India, France operationalise nuclear deal
15 Jan 2010
New Delhi: Keeping up the momentum in the area of civil nuclear cooperation with other countries, India has ratified such a cooperation agreement with France. With Indian foreign secretary, Nirupama Rao, and French ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, exchanging the instruments of ratification of the agreement the India-France deal for civil nuclear cooperation is now official.
Both nations had signed the civil nuclear cooperation agreement on 30 September 2008
France inked an agreement with India only days after the international Nuclear Suppliers Group cleared trade in nuclear materials and technologies with India after a 34 year hiatus in September 2008.
Along with Russia, France has been an early mover in formalising a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with India. This is in contrast to the United States, which is yet to finalise its nuclear agreement owing to new found concerns over non-proliferation.
The agreement allows France and India to enter into multi-form civil nuclear cooperation covering a wide range of activities, including nuclear power projects, R&D, nuclear safety, education and training.
The French embassy said in a statement that the operationalising the agreement would provide new impetus to Indo-French partnership and would contribute to "further strengthening the deep ties of friendship and long-standing cooperation between the two countries".
