Paving the way for construction of French nuclear reactors in the country, India and France Monday signed a general framework agreement and four other pacts for deeper bilateral cooperation in the atomic energy sector.

After delegation-level talks between visiting President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, both sides also signed three other agreements.

The general framework agreement between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and French company AREVA has been signed for construction of nuclear power plant (NPP) units in Jaitapur in Maharashtra An ‘Early Works Agreement’ between NPCIL and AREVA was also signed for the project.

The early works pact is essential to start implementation of the 10,000-MWe nuclear project at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.

Another agreement on ‘Protection of Confidentiality of Technical Data and Information Relating to Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy’ was also signed following the talks.

Seeking to enhance cooperation in the atomic energy sector, a cooperation agreement between the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and France’s atomic energy commission the Commissariat A L’energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives(CEA) was signed for engagement in the field of nuclear science and technology.

An agreement concerning intellectual property rights on the development of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy was also signed.

Besides those on nuclear cooperation, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Centre National D’tudes Spatiales (CNEc) for Cooperation also signed a pact for cooperation in the field of earth science and climate change.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni and French Minister of Culture and Communication Frederic Mitterrand inked an agreement on film co-production.