NEW DELHI, India - The president of the European Parliament on Friday urged India to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, a move he said would make it easier for trade with Europe in civil nuclear technology. “We are quite concerned about proliferation,” Josep Borrell told reporters in New Delhi at the end of a seven-day visit to India.“Of course, India and Iran are completely apart” but the European Parliament has passed a resolution asking New Delhi to sign the non-proliferation treaty, he added. “If India had signed the non-proliferation treaty cooperation would have a better framework ... our civil cooperation will be much more efficient,” he said. “Everything would be easier if India were part of this treaty.”
| "And we'd make lots of money," he added softly. |
In March, India and the United States clinched an agreement under which New Delhi would get access to previously forbidden civilian nuclear technology. India, in return, has agreed to separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities and put the former under international safeguards.
| Which puts us in the driver's seat for helping the Indians develop their civilian nuclear industry. You have to think that the Euros will come around to the U.S. view on this since if they don't they'll be shut out of one of the larger developing markets for nuclear energy. |