PM's visit to fast-track nuke deal with France

While uncertainty continues over whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be able to sign the 123 Agreement during his visit to the US next week, he is likely to offer France, his next stopover, a similar deal for supply of nuclear material and technologies. Sources said, French and Indian officials have almost drafted a civil nuclear deal. Speaking on the eve of the prime minister’s visit, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said: “We are working towards early signing of the deal with France.”

However, according to highly placed sources, the French government had to amend its laws to accommodate the recent Nuclear Suppliers Group waiver that allowed India to buy technologies and materials for nuclear energy. “Some of the NSG countries, including France, inhibit the sale of technologies like ENR to non-NTP signatories,” sources in the government said.