Bengaluru, Dec. 4: The French President, Mr Nicolas Sarkozy’s pledge to back India for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, however, was laced with France’s bid for high-value nuclear energy contracts, including one for construction of six plants to produce 10,000 MW at Jaitapur, Maharashtra.
Supporting India’s candidacy, Mr Sarkozy said it made sense for the country to participate in the work of multilateral bodies responsible for drafting and ensuring compliance with the non-proliferation regime.
“The nuclear energy will now be the focus of our cooperation. We all know how critical it is for India to ensure its energy security. India and France share the belief that nuclear energy can provide an unparalleled response to this challenge. India has decided to expand its nuclear industry tenfold. It will expand production from 4,000 to 62,000 MW in 20 years. This is more than a change of scale, it’s a change of attitude, and I am proud that France is supporting India in this historic process,” the French leader announced.
However, he noted, there was a certain “inconsistency” in India’s approach as while it wanted development of clean energy on one hand, it was at the same time “restricting access”, PTI reports. “We cannot force upon India obligations without giving it the means to meet the obligations,” he said.
Condemning the 26/11 attacks, he said, “When India is attacked, it is democracy attacked.” He observed that terrorism emanating from Pakistan and Afghanistan is a “major source of instability” in the world. Talking about Afghanistan, he praised India’s role and said the world cannot afford to lose the war against the Taliban. “We cannot afford to allow the Taliban to come back. No one stands benefited if civil war raises its ugly head... We must succeed,” he said. Mr Sarkozy, who heads a high-powered team will lobby for many big-ticket deals during his visit.