EU wants civil nuke cooperation with India

LONDON: The European Union wants civil nuclear cooperation with India but would like New Delhi to first fulfill certain "necessary preconditions".

"We are looking forward to civil nuclear cooperation with India once the necessary preconditions are met," EU Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who visited India last month, told the European Parliament.

"My recent visit to India gave me an opportunity to stress to the Indian leadership our hope that India come much closer to the NPT regime and join the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty," she said on Tuesday.

The EU Commissioner said "These developments should increase Pakistan's willingness to cooperate with the international community in the non-proliferation context."

On Iran's nuclear programme, she said the EU is pursuing the double-track approach which is to maintain dialogue but also to put pressure on Tehran to implement the UN Resolution.

On North Korea, she said the EU welcomes the results of the Six Party talks held in Beijing on February 13, adding that the EU is consulting with the Six offering the best means by which we can assist in the process.

While the headlines focus on the NPT difficulties, "we should not underestimate the successes," she said, citing the examples of South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea and Libya, which have all decided to forego nuclear weapons programmes.

She noted that the Commission, the EU's executive, is a major provider of assistance for non-proliferation efforts.