INDIA: French President Nicolas Sarkozy meets Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Record ID:
1372006
INDIA: French President Nicolas Sarkozy meets Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
- Title: INDIA: French President Nicolas Sarkozy meets Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
- Date: 7th December 2010
- Summary: NEW DELHI, INDIA (DECEMBER 6, 2010) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) EXTERIOR OF HYDERABAD HOUSE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH AND FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY ARRIVING SARKOZY SMILING SINGH SMILING SARKOZY AND SINGH LEAVING
- Embargoed: 22nd December 2010 00:07
- Keywords:
- Location: India, India
- Country: India
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA7D0I4W8XJGULTCGST0B6CUUJ1
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: French President Nicolas Sarkozy who is leading a delegation of 50 senior businessmen as well as top cabinet officials, met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday (December 6) as Paris eyes lucrative nuclear and defence deals with New Delhi.
Sarkozy, who began his trip on Saturday (December 4) in India's southern technology hub of Bangalore, has hinted at the progress of a multi-billion euro deal for the sale of two nuclear reactors to India.
French nuclear group Areva has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Nuclear Power Corp of India (NPCIL) to supply at least two EPR water pressurised reactors, estimated at some 7 billion euros ($9.4 billion).
India has given the green light for construction and suggested a framework contract could be concluded during the visit.
In an interview published on Saturday by the Times of India, Sarkozy said discussions on the agreement "were continuing and everything was being done" for a deal to be reached during his time in India.
Sarkozy's trip to India, an emerging market star whose fast-developing power sector is of interest to foreign investors, comes soon after visits by U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao are due in India before the end of the year.
Sarkozy repeated France's support for India's longstanding demand to win a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, as Obama did in November, in acknowledgement of India's growing global clout.
French firms are also hoping to secure lucrative defence deals with India, including the sale of 126 fighter jets and a smaller contract for defence electronics group Thales to modernise 51 Mirage 2000 planes for India's air force. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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