The Portuguese ambassador to India, Luis Filipe Castro Mendes, and Daniele Smadja, head of the delegation of the European Commission (EU), in a joint interaction with the media, have said that the EU, as a whole, understood India?s increasing energy needs.
They added that the EU would take a decision on supporting India at the Nuclear Suppliers Group, after studying the discussions between New Delhi and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Ahead of the India-EU summit later this week, Smadja said that the 27-nation group was watching closely, New Delhi?s negotiations with the IAEA, but it will be up to individual nations to decide their stand in the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
According to Smadja, ?The EU understands India?s interests in civil nuclear cooperation and its growing needs of energy. The EU is following with great interest the negotiations between India and the IAEA?.
When asked whether the EU will support the India-US civil nuclear deal in the 45-nation NSG,she replied, ?The EU is committed to international nuclear non-proliferation regime?.
?Portugal, as its holds the Presidency of the European Commission, is trying to arrive at a consensus and build the real EU position on the issue,? the Portuguese envoy said, when asked about Portugal?s position as a separate entity.
Smadja and Mendes were speaking at a curtain-raiser press conference ahead of the 8th India-EU summit. The first India-EU summit was launched during the Portuguese presidency of the EU in 2000, followed by the forging of strategic partnership between the two sides in 2004.
India is currently engaged in negotiations with the Vienna-based IAEA, a key step towards operationalising the India-US nuclear deal that aims at ending New Delhi?s global nuclear isolation.
The deal has to be approved by the NSG before the resumption of global civil nuclear commerce with India. Many EU members like the Scandinavian countries, Austria and Ireland are said to be sceptical about supporting India in the NSG, as New Delhi has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
About the overall energy cooperation between Iandia and the EU, they said a number of areas had been identified and working groups on energy cooperation, would meet next year. These include setting up thermal power plants in India and the study of bio-fuels. A common energy policy is also being contemplated.
?We are working on the possibility of a common energy policy… We want a more rational use of energy?, Smadja said.
