No nuclear deal from Singh's Paris trip

Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh has agreed to cooperate with the European Union on matters of energy and climate change. The announcement came yesterday in Paris, where some had hoped for a nuclear cooperation deal between Singh and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The EU and India, "reaffirmed their common will to tackle without delay the problem of climate change and deepen their cooperation in areas related to energy, clean development and climate change." They agreed to use international mechanisms to achieve a post-2012 emissions regime and recalled "that the fight against climate change is closely linked to the fight against poverty, inequality and exclusion. They recognize that efforts to move towards a low carbon economy must go hand in hand with the development and improvement of living conditions of the poorest of the population." Having agreed a safeguards arrangement with the IAEA and special rules with the Nuclear Suppliers Group rules, it would be possible now for India and France to begin trade in nuclear power plants, uranium fuel and other nuclear goods and services. This did not happen, observers believe, because India wishes to conclude a similar agreement in the USA first.

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