NEW DELHI: India and France on Friday overcame hurdles on Rafale fighter jets and nuclear energy after a summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande in Paris, following a day of discussions and a boat ride on the Seine.
Areva and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) took the first concrete steps towards making the Jaitapur nuclear power plants a reality with both companies signing an early works agreement. This will be the first formal pact between the two sides for Areva to begin work on the planned six EPR (evolutionary power reactor) power plants.
A far more important agreement was signed between L&T and Areva opening the door to nuclear manufacturing in India. Blending in nicely with Modi's "Make in India" initiative, this agreement has tremendous potential. For Areva which has a manufacturing deal with Mitsubishi, L&T will be the second. This will give L&T access to Areva's designs. Areva will be able to call on lower cost and high quality manufacturing of nuclear equipment which will substantially bring down the cost of its power plants. The agreement also envisages third country exports of nuclear equipment.
On security, both countries agreed to partner each other in the Indian Ocean region. France, too, is an Indian Ocean power, with a presence in Reunion Islands, Mauritius and Seychelles. As reported by TOI, Indian and French navies will hold joint exercises later this month in the Indian Ocean with the French aircraft carrier, Charles De Gaulle, taking part for the first time.In case of Jaitapur, negotiations had been stuck on the pricing of power, which was one of the causes for delay. Areva was also worried about the liability law but following the understanding between US and India and the creation of the nuclear insurance pool, it's seen as less of a problem.
Infrastructure being close to Modi's heart, discussions through his first day in France focused on "Clean Ganga", railways, waste management and smart cities. France has been designated a partner country for development of smart cities. On Saturday, Modi flies to Toulouse, regarded as one of Europe's smartest cities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) takes the salute during the guard of honour in the courtyard of the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, April 10 2015. (AFP photo)
France's SNCF (Societe Nationale de Chemins de Fer Francais) signed a pact with Indian Railways to look at the modernization/ upgradation of the Delhi-Chandigarh rail route and introduction of French LGV trains. This would make the route ready for what are called "semi high speed trains" which travel at around 235 km/hour. While high speed trains are also a French forte, upgrading Indian systems would also deliver substantive results at a fraction of the cost, because it would not entail building new tracks.
France also agreed to give tourist visa to Indians in 48 hours.Prime Minister Modi and Hollande will release a French postage stamp celebrating 50 years of India-France space partnership. It was in 1965 that France launched the first Indian rocket, Centaur. The French space agency, CNES, signed a couple of agreements with Isro to work on new areas like climatology, Mars exploration and new frontier space applications. Both countries have been launching each other's satellites, and this will continue.
On April 8, India and France also signed two other agreements on space cooperation — one on a joint satellite, Megha-Tropiques, for ocean observation.
The Indian MNRE and its French counterpart also signed a deal for scientific cooperation on renewable energy, focusing on solar energy. The French overseas development arm, AFD and Indian entity, Energy Efficiency Services, also signed a convention to promote environment friendly transport and energy systems.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi (2nd from left) and French president Francois Hollande (3rd from right) during their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on April 10, 2015. (AFP photo)
Addressing Unesco where PM released a portal on yoga, he said, "I call for a change in lifestyle. Because, the emission reduction that we seek will be the natural outcome of how we live. And, it will also mean a different path to economic well being."
A partnership agreement between City Palace of Udaipur and the French Chateau de Chambord will also see the light of day. The School for Planning and Architecture (SPA) and Ecole Superior La Villette will tie up for cooperation on architecture studies. A letter of intent was exchanged on archaeology.
The National Skill Development Authority in India signed a pact on upgrading skills with its French counterpart. The two sports ministries also inked a new arrangement, which will see French assistance for India as it organizes the Junior World Cup Football tournament in 2017.
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