Giving a cutting edge to their relationship, New Delhi and Paris on Tuesday signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement, bringing India back into the nuclear mainstream after 34 years of isolation.

France became the first nation to enter into a nuclear pact with New Delhi after India secured the NSG approval for undertaking nuclear commerce on September 6.

The two nations also signed a social security agreement that will result in benefits for Indian nationals working in France and French nationals working in India.

A major accord was signed between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) with Astrium, the French space organisation, on utilisation of the Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launch services.

The agreements were signed after extensive talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and French President Nicolas Sarkozy here during which the two leaders discussed a wide range of bilateral issues as well as international developments.

“Today we have added a new dimension to our strategic partnership by signing an inter-governmental agreement on civil nuclear cooperation,” Singh remarked after the agreements-signing ceremony.

He also expressed his gratitude to President Sarkozy for France’s consistent support to India’s civil nuclear initiative.

The Prime Minister said the two countries had agreed the defence cooperation between them should move away from buyer-seller relationship to joint production and transfer of technology. The two nations would raise their bilateral trade to 12 billion Euros by 2012.

Later, addressing a press conference, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Anil Kakodkar said India was exploring the possibility of buying European Power Reactors (EPRs), the most advanced reactors in the world, from France. Under the accord, India could reprocess fuel with its own technology under the IAEA safeguards.

In a joint statement issued after the talks, the two countries said they were committed to international peace and security, nuclear non-proliferation, fight against terrorism and the need to ensure food security and energy for all countries.

Singh appreciated France’s support for India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council and its belief that the G-8 needs to be expanded to include countries like India.

The agreement on nuclear cooperation will form the basis of wide ranging bilateral cooperation from basic and applied research to full civil nuclear cooperation, including reactors, nuclear fuel supply, nuclear safety, radiation and environment protection and nuclear fuel cycle management.

Building on their ongoing decades-old cooperation in the fields of fundamental and applied research and nuclear safety, the two countries agreed to broaden and boost this partnership.

According to the terms of the accord, India and France, as responsible states with advanced nuclear technologies, will promote nuclear energy with the highest standards of safety and security in accordance with their respective nuclear policies and international obligations.

It said India and France share common concerns and objectives in the field of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, including in view of possible linkages in terrorism.

Paris, September 30
The sensitivity of the Sikh community over restriction on wearing turban in French schools figured prominently during talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and French President Nicolas Sarkozy here on Tuesday.

According to foreign secretary Shiv Shanker Menon, Singh conveyed to the French leader that members of the community have approached him to urge him to use his good offices and get the restriction lifted.

Sarkozy, without committing himself, promised to look into the matter afresh.

Yesterday in Marseilles after the 9th India-EU summit, the French President had categorically stated that laws of the land could not be changed for the Sikhs, virtually ruling out the possibility of lifting the ban on wearing turban in schools.