By IRNA,
New Delhi : India and France Tuesday reviewed the progress in achieving the target of taking two-way trade to 12 billion euros by 2012.
Trade between the two countries last year was 6.2 billion dollars registering a growth of about 25 percent.
At a meeting of Indo-French Joint Committee in New Delhi, both India and France favored greater engagement between small and medium enterprises (SMEs), specially in the area of agriculture and allied fields.
The French minister said that she expects to bring a delegation of 100 SMEs in the area of agro food and identified renewable energy and environment as areas for cooperation.
Meanwhile, France is hopeful that cooperation with India in the civil nuclear energy sector will start as soon as possible.
Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting of the Indo-French Joint Committee along with Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath, the French Minister for External Trade Mrs Anne-Marie Idrac described the waiver given by the NSG for nuclear commerce with India as a historic achievement.
She also spoke of the significant role played by France at the NSG meeting, although both sides made no commitment on whether an agreement of nuclear cooperation will be signed between the two countries during Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’ visit to France.
Kamal Nath spoke of the expertise of French companies in the area of building nuclear reactors. In reply to a question on whether private companies will be allowed in this sector, the minister said that he did not think that there will be any problem.
He said that it is not the question of public or private sector but what is best for India.
The two ministers were speaking to the press after the meeting of Indo-French Joint Committee.