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France not bound by new NSG restriction on nuclear sales to India'

ALAIN JUPP: After the Fukushima catastrophe, France has launched a process of stress tests on all its nuclear installations. And w hen the Agency for Nuclear Safety delivers its report, w e w ill circulate it to all our partners, especially India.' PHOTO: AFP

In New Delhi last w eek, French Foreign Minister Alain Jupp spoke to Siddharth V aradarajan about the state of nuclear cooperation w ith India as w ell as the situation in Afghanistan and Libya. Excerpts: Giv e us the big picture on the relationship today . Our bilateral relations are ex cellent and they cov er all areas. President Sarkozy last December said that our partnership is, for France, strategic Defence and nuclear power are two components of this strategic partnership. A fter the Fukushima catastrophe, France has launched a process of stress tests on all its nuclear installations. A nd when the Agency for Nuclear Safety deliv ers its report, we will circulate it to all our partners, especially India. We are keen to continue our cooperation, and participate, if it's possible, in the construction of new European Pressurised Reactors (EPR) if the Indian gov ernment decides to go further. We are also dev eloping our cooperation in the defence sector, where we are discussing v arious projects, including the Rafale [fighter]. What is y our sense of pace at which the proposed A rev a reactor project at Jaitapur is going? There are ongoing protests, and the pricing issue too has to be resolv ed. Are y ou disappointed by the slow pace? No, we know that it is alway s slow; we also know what kinds of difficulties there are with other projects, so it's perfectly understandable that the consultation with the population will dev elop. We know that in France too, where there is also a mov e in public opinion after the Fukushima catastrophe, we hav e to ex plain what we are doing to guarantee to the population, to ex plain that we want the highest lev el of safety rules, safety procurements. So, we are willing to continue. Since Arev a intends to source some components from Japan, is the lack of an Indian nuclear agreement with Japan a matter of concern for y ou? Y es, it is a concern, of course, but we are confident in the negotiations between the Japanese authorities and India. Hav e y ou been speaking to the Japanese authorities about this? Not recently but we are in contact with them, and also A rev a.

The United States has ex pressed concerns about the prov isions of the Indian liability law for nuclear damages. Is it France's v iew that the law, the way it stands, makes it impossible for y our companies to do business with India? We hav e a problem with that so we are ready to discuss the point with the Indian authorities. But it is a difficulty for us as with the Americans. But what is the solution? Y ou understand that Manmohan Singh has no political room to manoeuv re, especially giv en the Bhopal disaster, and now Fukushima. Y es. We are perfectly aware of the domestic difficulties on this point but we think it is possible to find an outcome, and we [are discussing] that with our Indian counterparts. Many economists and lawy ers feel it is time to rev iew the international liability regime which came into being decades ago when nuclear power was an infant industry and may hav e needed subsidies. That is not the case today , it is a well established industry , and India is going in for a massiv e ex pansion of nuclear power. Hasn't the time come to relook the issue? We don't think so. The principles on which we base our cooperation are based on international conv entions to which many countries hav e adhered and, therefore, for the time being, we hav e to comply with these international conv entions. And y ou feel the Indian law does not comply with the CSC [Conv ention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear damage]? Not ex actly . And how should this matter be resolv ed? Dialogue and discussion. This is a diplomatic answer, of course. The Nuclear Suppliers Group adopted new ex port rules for so-called sensitiv e nuclear technology earlier this y ear. How does France propose to fulfil its promise of full civ il nuclear cooperation with India giv en the NSG's new ban on the sale of enrichment and reprocessing technology [to countries that hav e not signed the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty ]? Our interpretation is that the agreement of 2008 [when the NSG made an ex ception for India] is still in v igour and we hav e no intention to change our relations with India on this point. And we support the membership of India to the NSG. So if France were to decide on the basis of its national policy , and on the basis of an agreement with India, that it wants to ex port some component or aspect of enrichment and reprocessing technology to India, then the NSG rules as they stand as per the last meeting, will not come in the way . Is that correct? Y es. There will no prohibition on France to sell these items to India? We think the procurements decided in 2008 are enough to regulate those relations. Y ou mean the decisions of 2008? Y es. And also based on our bilateral agreements. In other words, the contours are set by bilateral agreement and by French national policy , and there is no prohibition at the NSG lev el on France as far as y ou see it? No. How does France v iew the recently signed India-Afghanistan strategic partnership, including the prov ision for India to train the Afghan National Security Forces? We share the same v iews as India on this issue. We think we must dev elop cooperation with Afghanistan ev en after 201 4 and France is preparing a bilateral treaty of friendship and cooperation with A fghanistan and so we are v ery keen to see India inv olv ed with this process. We hav e launched the idea of a regional security agreement of cooperation, I discussed this point with my Indian counterparts and we are ready to reflect on this project to prepare the future of A fghanistan In the past, some Nato members hav e been squeamish about India play ing a more open role in military training and assistance for fear of offending Pakistan.

We think ev ery thing which can help the Afghan army , to improv e its functioning and equipment and training is a good thing, because all our policy is based on the idea of transition from Nato forces and ISAF to the A fghan army . France may feel v indicated by the capture and killing of Col. Qadhafi and the fall of his regime in Liby a, that the approach it pursued has been successful, but many in India and other countries are worried about the future of Liby a. Do y ou fear y ou may hav e dug y ourself a bigger hole? We are v ery proud of the action we hav e done in Liby a because we hav e av oided the massacre in Benghazi. Y ou remember the threats of Qadhafi. It was a courageous initiativ e taken by France and Britain with the mandate of the U.N. Security Council to interv ene. I don't know any where in the world any rev olution which doesn't imply risks and the situation for Liby a in the future is risky . But the leaders of the Transition Council are wise men and we are supporting the efforts to implement the roadmap, with elections, a new constitution. It will be difficult but it is up to the Liby an people to choose their future and we are ready to support. Since the aim of the interv ention was not so much to sav e civ ilians as to topple the regime, do y ou feel y ou hav e done a disserv ice to the right of humanitarian interv ention? The international community is likely to be more reluctant to back [the inv oking of this right]. The purpose was to protect the civ ilian population. Y ou still insist? Y es, we acted in the framework of the UNSC resolution, not outside it. Of course, we also hoped that the regime would collapse as in other countries of the A rab area, but it was the will of the population. The rebels wanted to see Qadhafi stepping down from power so it is a success of the international community . But y ou understand why countries like India, Brazil, South Africa may be reticent about the kind of approach y ou are pursuing? I know that, but I do not understand completely why , because we adopted in 2005 during the U.N. summit the principle of Responsibility to Protect. When a regime is unable to protect its own civ ilian population and when such a regime is attacking its civ ilian population, it is the duty of the international community to interv ene. Y et, when civ ilians were attacked in Gaza by the Israelis, there was no mov e to interv ene. We condemned [it]. The Responsibility to Protect is not a reason for military interv ention in all areas. For ex ample, in Sy ria, there is no question of interv ention. But in Liby a there was a particular case, there was a threat against the civ ilian population of a huge city , Benghazi. So that was the reason for interv ention. Just to be clear, France is not going to consider or adv ocate ex ternal military interv ention in Sy ria? I don't understand the position of Russia and China and also the hesitation of some other countries about that. There is nothing in the resolution circulated in New Y ork which can open the way for military interv ention, nothing. It is a v ery , v ery light resolution, in fact, we are only say ing that [President] Bashar [al-Assad], what y ou are doing is bad, y ou must stop the v iolence against y our population, and if y ou don't, may be there will be some sanctions against y ou. But this is what I meant in a prev ious question, this is the price y ou pay for ov erusing the Liby a resolution. The Russians, Chinese and others say when they backed the Liby a resolution, they didn't v ote for all this! Ov erusing' is y our interpretation not mine. But I know this is a pretex t for Russia not to v ote for the resolution. I say pretex t because there are other reasons, there are many political and economic links between Russia and Sy ria which can ex plain the attitude of Russia. Foreign Minister Alain Jupp says France will stick to the com m itm ents it m ade in the field of nuclear energy cooperation. Ads by Google UK Univ ersity Spot Offers Jan/Sep intakes ON, Apply @Top Univ V isa for 1 8 months,Get Scholarships www.careerpluss.com