Nuclear cooperation tops agenda of PM's visit to US, France

New Delhi, Sept 22 (PTI) The crucial civil nuclear
cooperation will be high on the agenda of Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh during his 10-day visit to the U.S. and France
beginning Monday.

The Prime Minister will attend the 63rd session of the
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) where he would pitch
for collective and multilateral approaches to deal with global
challenges like food and energy crises and terrorism.

"I will draw the world community's attention to the need
for the reform of international institutions, including of the
United Nations, and to address global challenges such as the
food and energy crises, terrorism and progress on the
Millennium Development Goals," he said in a departure
statement.

On the sidelines of the UNGA, Singh would also hold
bilateral meetings with several world leaders including those
from China and Pakistan. He would then visit Washington on
Thursday at the invitation of President George W. Bush.

"I look forward to my discussions with him on the entire
range of issues on our bilateral agenda with the United
States, including our civil nuclear initiative," he said.

He noted that bilateral relations with the U.S. had
"expanded significantly" in areas of interests like education,
trade, business, technology, energy and agriculture.

"The engagement between the two countries has
strengthened and we are pursuing the multi-faceted cooperation
to our mutual benefit," the Prime Minister said.

In the US, the Prime Minister also plans to meet a group
of American CEOs and members of the Indian American community,
"both of whom have contributed to the consolidation of
relations between India and the U.S."

In France, Singh would attend the India-E.U. Summit in
Marseilles and later pay a bilateral visit to Paris at the
invitation of President Nicholas Sarkozy.

Terming India's relations with France as "long standing
and of strategic importance", he said "I am confident that my
visit will lead to the further consolidation of our relations
in the areas of trade and investment, defence, space, civil
nuclear cooperation and high technology."

At the annual India-E.U. Summit, Singh would seek to
strengthen cooperation in diverse areas including
counter-terrorism.

The European Union is India's largest trading partner
with which it enjoys multi-faceted strategic relationship, the
Prime Minister said.

"India and Europe are bound by the common values of
democracy and pluralism. We have diverse areas of cooperation
including in the area of counter-terrorism which I will seek
to strengthen.

"I look forward to attending the India-E.U. Business
Summit being held on the sidelines of our Summit," Singh said.
PTI SKU