New Delhi
6 October 2005
The European Union wants to work with India in the areas of
nuclear security and nuclear waste, according to Dr Achilleas Mitsos, Director General in
the Directorate General for Research and Technological Development of the European
Commission in Brussels.
Dr Mitsos, who is visiting India after the signing of the EU-India strategic partnership
during the EU-India summit in New Delhi on September 7, says India's participation in
the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) fusion energy project has
"not been finally and officially approved".
A five-member ITER fact-finding team led by Interim Project Leader Dr Yasuo Shimomura
is concurrently visiting various institutes in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bangalore to
assess India's capabilities to undertake specific projects. Dr Mitsos says a decision (on
India's participation) is expected in "a few months."
The United States, Russia, South Korea, China, European Union and Japan are members
of the ITER project. "The agreement was almost finalised when India applied," Dr Mitsos
says. "The issue is technical, not political and therefore requires further discussions but
EU is hand in hand with India on this."
India, however, has been welcomed into the Galileo space navigation project which
unlike ITER, is a European project with international participation. "India has a privileged
partnership role [in the Galileo project.] Research in this area will be a win-win situation
for both the EU and India," he observes.
Dr Mitsos says about 30 projects are being undertaken with Indian participation. "To
continue the cooperation and to raise awareness, a joint action plan is being planned.
Focus is also fellowships, joint research and participation of universities and firms in
collaborative research."
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