Article Posted on : - Sep 18, 2008

NEW DELHI: France, on Wednesday, indicated that it could go ahead with a bilateral nuclear agreement with India even if the US Congress did not ratify the Indo-US nuclear deal by the yearend.

In an interview to a television channel, French Minister of External Trade Anne Marie Idrac said, �The deal details are being discussed at the moment and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will decide on the issue in due time.�

"We are going to find the best date and best way, so that it goes in a well prepared manner," she said.

Asked if France would go ahead with the deal even if the US Congress did not ratify it by the yearend, she said, �We are not the kind of people changing minds and we are well engaged with this important sync with India.�

To a question as to whether France will be the first country to supply nuclear fuel to India, the minister said, �maybe�.

(PTI)