angeldemon_007
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New Delhi, May 7: The French government is mulling downgrading its strategic partnership with Pakistan, officials of the European country hinted to foreign secretary Nirupama Rao during her visit to Paris.
Rao was in Paris on May 5-6 for the annual India-France foreign office consultations. The Indian foreign secretary landed in Paris barely hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani concluded his not-so-happy three-day state visit to France.
New Delhi has for long been asking western countries to review their military assistance to Pakistan, mostly sought for the war against terror, but which the government feels has been directed at India.
Now, public opinion in France has questioned the countrys non-civilian help to Islamabad after the discovery that Osama bin Laden had spent several years hiding in Pakistans Abbottabad, sources said. Paris is also conscious of India potentially being a more important partner than Pakistan in the years to come.
France wants to sell nuclear reactors and military hardware worth thousands of crores of rupees to India in the years to come, including French fighter jet Rafale, which along with Eurofighter Typhoon, is in the reckoning for the over Rs 50,000-crore defence deal.
Rao held discussions with senior French officials led by Pierre Sellal, the secretary-general of the ministry of foreign affairs of France.
A spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs said the two sides reviewed the entire range of bilateral relations including strategic co-operation in key areas, such as civil nuclear energy, defence, space, trade and investment, education, science and technology and culture.
There was also an exchange of views on the regional and international situation. The two sides also discussed the evolving situation in North Africa and the Middle East, in particular Libya and Syria, the spokesperson said.
Foreign officials said the two sides discussed ways to strengthen an India-France strategic partnership, defined by the strong and future-oriented vision articulated during the visit of the President of France to India from December 4-7, 2010.
The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Nation | France hint on Pak
Rao was in Paris on May 5-6 for the annual India-France foreign office consultations. The Indian foreign secretary landed in Paris barely hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani concluded his not-so-happy three-day state visit to France.
New Delhi has for long been asking western countries to review their military assistance to Pakistan, mostly sought for the war against terror, but which the government feels has been directed at India.
Now, public opinion in France has questioned the countrys non-civilian help to Islamabad after the discovery that Osama bin Laden had spent several years hiding in Pakistans Abbottabad, sources said. Paris is also conscious of India potentially being a more important partner than Pakistan in the years to come.
France wants to sell nuclear reactors and military hardware worth thousands of crores of rupees to India in the years to come, including French fighter jet Rafale, which along with Eurofighter Typhoon, is in the reckoning for the over Rs 50,000-crore defence deal.
Rao held discussions with senior French officials led by Pierre Sellal, the secretary-general of the ministry of foreign affairs of France.
A spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs said the two sides reviewed the entire range of bilateral relations including strategic co-operation in key areas, such as civil nuclear energy, defence, space, trade and investment, education, science and technology and culture.
There was also an exchange of views on the regional and international situation. The two sides also discussed the evolving situation in North Africa and the Middle East, in particular Libya and Syria, the spokesperson said.
Foreign officials said the two sides discussed ways to strengthen an India-France strategic partnership, defined by the strong and future-oriented vision articulated during the visit of the President of France to India from December 4-7, 2010.
The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Nation | France hint on Pak
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