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Journalism of Courage
Three weeks before President Jacques Chirac arrives here, France is signalling its eagerness to launch civilian nuclear energy cooperation with India. But much like the US, France would also want to see India separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities before initiating any substantive atomic energy cooperation.
That New Delhi needs to take effective non-proliferation measures to convince the international community to change the rules in its favour was the important message from a French special envoy to the government on Friday.
The Indian establishment fondly recalls the last visit of Chirac in January 1998. Chirac chose to come to Delhi at a time when the United Front government led by Inder Kumar Gujral had fallen and elections were round the corner. Chirac also became the first international leader to raise the prospect for nuclear energy cooperation with India during that visit.
Chirac also lent strong support to India after the May 1998 tests and lobbied the Europeans against imposing sanctions. At a time when the Clinton administration and Japan were leading the international charge to isolate India, Chirac8217;s France provided invaluable political cover for New Delhi in the difficult days after Pokharan II.
France has consistently argued that India, as a responsible nuclear power, must be treated as a unique case and that the current restrictions against atomic commerce with Delhi need to be altered.
Analysts here underline, however, that the hopes in a section of the Indian establishment that a separate nuclear deal could be cut with France on terms less onerous than those signed with the United States last July are an illusion.
Over the last eight years, France has insisted that India must take a series of steps that would allow Paris to make the case with the international community for a nuclear exception for New Delhi. Since the Bush administration came round to the French view early last year to consider nuclear energy cooperation with India, Washington and Paris have been in constant touch.
Washington and New Delhi have been banking on French support at the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group that must agree to change the nuclear rules before any major nation agrees to sell nuclear fuel or reactors to India.
Strong public support from Chirac for nuclear cooperation with India during his visit is expected to boost international political support to the nuclear pact signed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President George W. Bush last July.
