India, France breakthrough on nuclear liabilities possible, says Foreign Minister

New Delhi: India and France can reach an understanding on the vexed issue of civil nuclear liability in the same manner as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama ended the stalemate on this subject, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Thursday. Fabius, who held a meeting with the Prime Minister, said that Modi has agreed to visit France “this spring” and it was for him to say how India “considers” the issue of civil nuclear liability in regard to deals with other nations. [caption id=“attachment_2061685” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  AFP[/caption] “Indian Prime Minister will say what he considers. He belongs to India to decide for India. But I think the elements which have been agreed can apply to other nations also,” Fabius said responding to a query by reporters on whether both India and France can agree to an understanding on the same template in which India and US agreed on civil nuclear liability issue during Obama’s visit last month. The visiting French Minister said during his meeting with Modi, they “touched upon” different subjects of strategic partnership “which is very impressive” between both the nations including defence, nuclear energy, transportation, urban planning, urban development, tourism, space, education and many many areas. “We did not discuss that in full details but we shall be honoured by official visit of Prime Minister Modi this spring,” Fabius said, adding his government shall prepare this visit with “particular accuracy” in order to have solutions. He said he was “impressed by the constant occupation of Prime Minister Modi about our positive partnership.” The French Foreign Minister said the people of France were “moved” by Modi’s “special phone calls” to French President Nicolas Hollande after the terror attack on satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in Paris last month. “After the attack in Paris, Prime Minister Modi has been kind enough to make special phone calls to French President and the French people have been… really..it has moved us,” he said. Fabius said he and Modi also discussed about terrorism “because the Prime Minister saw the context…common concern everywhere …” PTI