The agreement on building nuclear power reactors was always going to be the centrepiece of President Nicholas Sarkozy's visit to India, said The Hindu in an editorial published Thursday. Excerpts: France was quick off the mark to conclude a civilian nuclear agreement with India in 2008; and the framework agreement signed between the French nuclear firm Areva and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India to build two of the six planned reactors in Maharashtra was an outcome of this. Some issues relating to the proposed $9.3 billion deal need to be ironed out; these relate to Indian safety and cost concerns over Areva's advanced but yet-to-be-proven EPR reactors as well as French discomfort with the civilian nuclear liability legislation recently adopted by the Indian Parliament. While nuclear commerce will be an important new component of the bilateral relationship, Mr. Sarkozy's visit gave both countries an opportunity to come closer on a broad range of bilateral and global issues. The full-throated reaffirmation of French support for India's permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council has been warmly received. The resolve to enhance bilateral cooperation in the G20 to make it an effective tool for overhauling the international monetary system and for stabilizing commodity prices, and to work together in international forums on issues such as Afghanistan, terrorism, and climate change are indicators of deepening political ties. At least in principle, all this should help India achieve a better balance in external relations, which are at present seriously distorted by strategic over
