N-DEAL WITH FRANCE

India set to sign N-deal

with France today

· EVEN as India was poised to start civilian

nuclear cooperation with countries

around the world, Prime Minister Manmohan

Singh maintained that India does not

want another nuclear weapons state in its

neighbourhood and would not support Iran’s

nuclear weapons programme.

· Mr Singh reiterated that India did not support

Iran’s nuclear programme. “We don’t support

a nuclear weapon state emerging in our

region. So there is no question of supporting

nuclear weapon ambitions of Iran,” Mr Singh

said in Marseilles on Monday.

· He said that he had discussed Iran’s nuclear programme with

Mr Sarkozy. “I have said earlier and I repeat

that Iran is a signatory to the non-proliferation

treaty and is entitled to all that is needed for development

of its civilian nuclear programme.

And as a member of NPT, it has also to undertake

all obligations of the NPT,” he said.

Coming back to India’s civilian nuclear future,

Mr Singh indicated that France and India

could sign an agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation

on Tuesday. Mr Singh, who had to

leave the US without the nuclear deal, said India

looked forward to working with France and

other countries in the civilian nuclear sector.

· He further said that said that some agreement

was possible with France when he meets

French president Nicolas Sarkozy for bilateral

talks on Tuesday. “Sometime ago, the Nuclear

Suppliers Group adjusted its guidelines in the

matter of civilian nuclear cooperation with India.

We look forward to working with France

and other countries in this area. We are having

a summit tomorrow (with France), I hope

some results will come out of this summit,” said

the prime minister who is also expecting good

news soon on the US Congress front.

· Mr Sarkozy called Mr Singh’s visit special

and said that he would discuss with Mr Singh

the issue of nuclear cooperation and take a decision.

``This visit holds a special meaning for

me... We will launch our civil nuclear cooperation

which will become a cornerstone of our

partnership,” the French president was quoted

as saying.

$Boopathi$, September 30, 2008