India, France to hold N-talks today

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee is set to meet President Jacques Chirac and his French counterpart Alliot-Marie.

The French offer of cooperation in civilian nuclear energy development is likely to figure prominently in defence dialogue with India on Monday as Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday that New Delhi wanted to deepen strategic relationship with Paris.

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"France has assured us of cooperating in development of nuclear energy for civil use," Mukherjee told newsmen on arrival here adding "India wants to take this process forward".

The Minister's remarks came as Indo-US agreement on civilian nuclear deal is still pending with the US Congress.

Impressing on the United States that the process of removing the embargo and lifting of ban on supply of fissile material should be speeded up, Mukherjee said the absence of this is coming in the way of accessing much-needed nuclear material for India's power producing reactors.