France asks India to ensure legal security of nuke suppliers

New Delhi, Dec 2 (PTI) As it prepares to sign a framework
civil nuclear cooperation agreement with India, France has
asked India to ensure legal security for nuclear suppliers
implying it was not satisfied with the provisions of
the recently-enacted Nuclear Liability Act.
The issue is expected to figure in the meeting between
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and French President Nicolas
Sarkozy here on next Monday.
"We have expressed several time.....The fact that we are
discussing with India on civil nuclear liability question,
which is of course very important for us. It is important for
us that legal security of the suppliers is ensured with
accordance with international standards," a French official
said here Thursday.
The official, however, refused to elaborate despite being
asked repeatedly whether the present Act did not provide the
legal protection and merely said that both the French
government and French companies were in active discussion with
India.
The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Law passed by
Parliament makes a supplier liable for damages if a "nuclear
incident has resulted as a consequence of an act of supplier
or his employee, which includes supply of equipment or
material with patent or latent defects or sub-standard
services."
Sarkozy, accompanied by his singer-model wife Carla Bruni
and a high-level delegation, will undertake a four-day India
visit from Saturday.
During the visit, two Consulate Generals will also be
inaugurated in Bangalore and Kolkata, besides inauguration of
the new premises of French diplomatic mission in Mumbai.
Aimed at giving fillip to strategic and economic ties
between two countries, the visit will provide an opportunity
to both sides to discuss a host of global issues like reform
of the international financial institutions, the G20 forum of
major and emerging economies, climate change and non-
proliferation. PTI