The civil nuclear cooperation agreement between India and France, which is ready for signing, does not cover sale of enrichment and reprocessing technologies, French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont has said.
He said France was open to such sales but it will depend upon any worldwide consensus the Nuclear Suppliers Group reaches on the matter.
"This matter is not covered by the Indo-French Nuclear Framework Agreement awaiting signature," Bonnafont said when asked about the sale of enrichment and reprocessing technologies under the pact.
"This matter has to be decided by a later agreement between the two countries which is yet to be discussed," he said, adding there were no discussions between the two countries on the issue.
According to a press release issued by the production house, the envoy made it clear that under the agreement India can obtain nuclear fuel from France for the full life of reactors purchased from it and it will come with reprocessing rights subject to India fulfilling the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.
'One should talk of a global nuclear deal'
The Indo-French civil nuclear cooperation agreement is expected to be signed when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Paris later this month, but the French envoy refused to confirm it.
"This will be decided by the two heads of the government," he said, adding that the two leaders have not agreed so far on a date to ink the agreement.
France is ready to offer its latest nuclear technology reactor Areva to India, which is likely to be installed at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.
