India, European Union Finalise Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement Ahead Of Virtual Summit

In a major development, India and European Union (EU) have finalised a framework agreement on cooperation in the civil nuclear sector, the negotiations for which had been going on for 13 long years, reports Hindustan Times.

The agreement will delve into research and development cooperation for peaceful uses of nuclear energy and has been signed by the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and Indian authorities.

The finalisation of the framework came just a day ahead of the India-EU summit which is scheduled to begin today (15 July). The summit is being held in an online fashion in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

The summit will be co-chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

The summit is expected to focus on strengthening multilateralism and global institutions in the face of the rise of an increasingly assertive China.

The leaders will discuss how to further develop their trade and investment relations and support sustainable growth and and jobs on both sides.