The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd, Kakodkar said, is already in talks with Areva, a leading French nuclear reactor company, for exploring the possibility of manufacturing third generation 1600 MW European Pressurised Reactors in India. Areva has already reached an understanding with China to build two such reactors there and NPCIL would be keen on similar arrangement as that would give impetus to local manufacturers in India.

France was among the first Western countries besides the US to question the non-proliferation argument against India. Back in 2004 when Indian diplomacy was in top gear trying to obtain fuel for Tarapur, it was then French President Jacques Chirac who lent his voice of support to US President George W Bush’s plans to do something more “ambitious” with India after the NSSP.

US NSA Stephen Hadley and Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, the then French diplomatic advisor to Chirac, were constantly in touch as India and US agreed to the joint statement in 2005. Significantly, France spoke to the US when the 123 agreement negotiations were stuck over reprocessing rights and conveyed the model adopted in the Indo-French agreement which was then reflected in the 123 where India’s right to reprocess spent fuel is recognised. Of course, India had to commit setting up a dedicated facility under safeguards for storing spent fuel made available by using imported uranium.

In the 2006 NSG meeting at Vienna when the Indian question for an exemption was discussed, it was France which first drew the link between climate change and nuclear power in the context of reducing India’s rate of carbon emissions. And finally, ahead of the final two rounds of NSG meeting in the past month, Paris issued demarches to European members of the NSG asking them to support India’s case for a waiver.

... contd.