New Delhi, Dec. 6: The French President, Mr Nicolas Sarkozy, made the right noises, which would have pleased his hosts, by admonishing Pakistan for not doing enough on terrorism, appreciating India’s restraint in the aftermath of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, and reiterating France’s support for India’s quest for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
“It (UNSC seat) is not just an important matter for India but for the equilibrium of the world,” Mr Sarkozy said in his opening remarks at a joint press conference with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, at Hyderabad House here.
India and France signed seven agreements in all, including the general framework agreement and the early works agreement between NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd) and Areva for the implementation of EPRs (European pressurised reactors) at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.
The three other agreements relating to civil nuclear energy were on intellectual property rights, protection of confidentiality of technical data and information, and cooperation agreement between the department of atomic energy and France’s “Commissariat A L’energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives” in the field of nuclear science and technology.
Also signed were a pact on film coproduction and a memorandum of understanding between the Isro and France’s Centre National D’etudes Spatiales for cooperation in earth systems sciences and climate.
Dr Singh said India would soon set up a cultural centre in Paris. France, he was to add, will collaborate with India in establishing a centre of excellence at the IIT, Rajasthan.
India and France also signed two MoUs to promote partnership in higher and technical education and research.