India-France nuclear deal likely this month
India and France could sign a major nuclear trade agreement at the end of this month, but only once a landmark India-US nuclear pact has been ratified by the US Congress, a minister said here yesterday.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will attend an EU-India summit in the French city of Marseille and is expected to hold bilateral talks in Paris on September 29.
According to Ashwani Kumar, the Indian minister of state for industry, the nuclear agreement has already been drawn up.
"The documents are ready for signatures. When it comes to bilateral agreement, I see no difficulty," Kumar told AFP.
"We hope it should be possible by the end of this month," he added.
The details of the accord are believed to have been finalised back in January when French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited India.
Last week, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which controls the export and sale of nuclear technology worldwide, amended its rules to allow India to buy equipment and expertise to fuel its fast-growing economy.
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