India is within weeks of striking a deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency on its civilian nuclear program.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy told Indian reporters at a press conference in New Delhi, "To the best of my knowledge, it's only a matter of weeks and the authorization (from the IAEA) will be given."
The deal with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency is a key step in finalizing India's landmark atomic energy pact with the United States. The country hopes to establish similar agreements with France and other nuclear powers.
"India has never proliferated, and it has made it clear that it wants to separate its civil nuclear program from its military one,'' Sarkozy said.
The Indo-U.S. nuclear deal has run into opposition in both countries. In India, critics oppose closer ties with the United States and fear the deal could undermine the country's nuclear weapons program. U.S. critics say the extra fuel provided under the deal would boost India's nuclear bomb stockpile by freein
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