By IANS
New Delhi : India will seek the support of Bulgaria, the southeast European country which is a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), for global civil nuclear cooperation when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets his Bulgarian counterpart Sergei Stanishev here Wednesday.
“Bulgaria is a member of the NSG that has a positive attitude towards nuclear energy and is likely to take a favourable view of the India-US civil nuclear deal,” an official source told IANS.
In an interview before coming here, Stanishev welcomed the “successful completion” of the India-US civil nuclear cooperation agreement. He also stressed that India and the NSG members should “continue their dialogue and information exchange” on other dimensions of the India-US civil nuclear initiative, including the conclusion of a safeguards agreement between India and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Besides nuclear energy, the intensification of business ties is on top of the agenda. Both sides are expected to sign some economic agreements to scale up business and investment between them.
For Stanishev, his week-long visit to India, which began Monday night, has a special resonance as he becomes the first Bulgarian prime minister to visit India in nearly three decades.
The accent of his visit is on upgrading business ties, which have remained much below the potential. Bilateral trade is estimated to be just $75 million. Bulgaria is keen to import Indian auto components, information technology and software.
Bulgaria is also interested in setting up joint ventures in India in the areas of food-processing, grain-storages and cold storages construction, and is eyeing the growing Indian market for its wines.
With the Bulgarian economy growing at the rate of over 6 percent over the last few years and the country’s entry into the European Union this year, Stanishev is sure to showcase his country as an investment hub that offers easy access to the large and lucrative European market.
He will also focus on the growing convergence of perspectives between the two countries on key global issues like the UN reforms.
Bulgaria supports India’s candidature for a permanent seat on an expanded UN Security Council. It also backed India in the elections to the Human Rights Council in May 2006 and May 2007.
Bulgaria, like India, seeks an early conclusion of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism being negotiated in the UN.