The visiting Minister of Commerce of France, Anne-Marie Idrac said the MoU was part of the deep and friendly strategic relationship between India and France. She said the two countries shared common views on climate change and financial crisis that has engulfed the world. France, she said, was proud to be part of this new relationship, including supplying of EPR technology.

Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Power, said signing of the MoU signals end of India’s nuclear isolation and its emergence as a responsible nuclear state. He hoped that this relationship would go further in form of forging technological alliance to export nuclear reactors from India to various countries