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print version29 September 2008
The Indian Prime Minister’s visit in France: Network ’Move out of Nuclear’ denounced an irresponsible agreement that aggravates proliferation
As a reward for helping the U.S. and India to circumvent the rules of non-proliferation, France will sell several nuclear reactors to India. These nauseating transactions endanger the future of the planet.
On visit to France on 29 and 30 September, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh prepares to sign with France commercial contracts in nuclear power as a result of an agreement which flouts all international non-proliferation. Indeed, on 6 September 2008, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (or Nuclear Suppliers Group, or NSG), which brings together 45 countries that supply nuclear equipment, including France, validated a set of exceptions allowing the coming into force of a nuclear agreement, known as "123 Agreement" signed in July 2007 by India and the USA.
This is an event of extreme gravity as the 123 Agreement provides for the sale to India of nuclear technology and materials, whereas, like any country non signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), India is theoretically excluded from such transactions. This circumvention of the rules of non-proliferation provides perfect pretext for any country which, like Iran or North Korea, intends to acquire nuclear weapons.
The 123 Agreement in an incredible fashion provides for the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) to inspect in India only those nuclear facilities that are not used to develop atomic weapons. That is exactly as if gendarmes undertook, with thieves, not to patrol during the hours to carry out burglaries.
In order to get its share of the cake ", i e to sell more nuclear reactors to India, France played alongside the USA, a role so that the NSG ended up accepting the ’unacceptable. At a first session of the NSG on 21 and August 22, Ireland, Norway, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland resisted bravely. But Sarkozy and Bush administrations reconvened all of them in early September till they rallied one by one. It is not forbidden to think that threats of trade sanctions or other were brandished against the 6 "blockers".
France expects now to go into agreement with India, now that the USA have formally adopted the Agreement 123, which has unfortunately been done by the House of Representatives on September 27. There is still the stage of the Senate, where many American Parliamentarians are courageously trying to oppose the entry into force of this irresponsible agreement.
The French leadership is reduced to the rank of subordinates of the Bush administration, and are forced to wait their turn to get a reward for their submissiveness. It is at this is the price that Areva will be able to sell nuclear reactors to India: there is nothing to celebrate. Once again, it is demonstrated that nuclear power not only damages the environment and living beings, it also seriously contaminate democracy.
See to original french version of this communique:
(translated into english by Harsh Kapoor)
