France–Pakistan Atomic Energy Framework
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The France–Pakistan atomic energy framework, or also known as France–Pakistan nuclear deal, is a bilateral energy treaty signed by the governments of
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
on 15 May 2009. The framework of this agreement was a 15 May 2009, in a joint press statement of President
Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa ( ; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. In 2021, he was found guilty of having tried to bribe a judge in 2014 to obtain information ...
and President
Asif Ali Zardari Asif Ali Zardari (born 26 July 1955) is a Pakistani politician serving as the 14th president of Pakistan since 2024, having held the same office from 2008 to 2013. He is the president of Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians and was the ...
, under which France agreed to provide assistance to improve the
nuclear safety Nuclear safety is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "The achievement of proper operating conditions, prevention of accidents or mitigation of accident consequences, resulting in protection of workers, the public and the ...
of its
nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by ...
installations and related civilian nuclear facilities under
International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology, nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was ...
(IAEA) safeguards and, as well as the transfer full civilian-based
nuclear technology Nuclear technology is technology that involves the nuclear reactions of atomic nucleus, atomic nuclei. Among the notable nuclear technologies are nuclear reactors, nuclear medicine and nuclear weapons. It is also used, among other things, in s ...
to Pakistan. In contrast to Indo-American nuclear agreement, this framework restricted itself to only to co-operate in the field of "
nuclear safety Nuclear safety is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "The achievement of proper operating conditions, prevention of accidents or mitigation of accident consequences, resulting in protection of workers, the public and the ...
", as quoted by the French Foreign Ministry. While
foreign service officers A Foreign Service officer (FSO) is a commissioned member of the United States Foreign Service. FSOs formulate and implement the foreign policy of the United States. They spend most of their careers overseas as members of U.S. embassies, consu ...
and the Foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi outlined what they termed as "significant development"; however, a French official stated that his nation has "no intention" of pursuing a civilian nuclear trade deal, roughly equivalent to Indo-US deal, with Pakistan.


Overview and background

Since 1967, France has emerged as the biggest defence contractor of Pakistan, despite its good and relatively close relations with India. Pakistan is one of three original participant states (others being
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
) that refused to be signatory of the NPT. In March 1976, France and Pakistan signed a mutual agreement for the supply of plutonium-based
nuclear reprocessing Nuclear reprocessing is the chemical separation of fission products and actinides from spent nuclear fuel. Originally, reprocessing was used solely to extract plutonium for producing nuclear weapons. With commercialization of nuclear power, the ...
plant at the
Chasma In planetary nomenclature, a chasma (''plural'': chasmata ) is a deep, elongated, steep-sided Depression (geology), depression. As of 2020, the International Astronomical Union, IAU has named 122 such features in the Solar System, on Venus (63), ...
. However, this deal came under attack from various countries, particularly the United States, for two reasons. First, Pakistan under Prime minister
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979) was a Pakistani barrister and politician who served as the fourth president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and later as the ninth Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan from 19 ...
was putting efforts to gain success in its atomic bomb project. Second, the French deal was not completely under the inspection of the
International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology, nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was ...
(IAEA). The United States pressed full scope and built momentum on France to re-consider its decision, while on other hand, Bhutto threatened the France that the future contracts would be contingent on its first fulfilling the "contractual obligation" to the legally obliged agreement. In 1976,
Henry Kissinger Henry Alfred Kissinger (May 27, 1923 – November 29, 2023) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 56th United States secretary of state from 1973 to 1977 and the 7th National Security Advisor (United States), natio ...
arrived Pakistan with tough message which became publicly known in Pakistan. In a short span of time, France under pressured by the various countries, cancelled the project with Pakistan.


Clauses and scope

Despite France's willingness to give a green signal for this agreement, the confusion remains over what was agreed. The officials of Pakistan's Foreign ministry had undertaken to supply Pakistan with "civilian nuclear technology", the French officials stressed on the fact that "France had agreed only to co-operate in the field of "nuclear safety". Although, in an official press French President Nicolas Sarkozy marked to his counterpart that "France wanted Pakistan to have a wide-ranging deal to buy nuclear equipment" like the one obtained by its rival India, but later spokesman for the French presidency was careful to rein in expectations and much of the details were closed to the public.


Notes

9.https://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/26/archives/france-to-pursue-nuclear-deal-with-pakistan-fought-by-us.html France-Pakistan Nuclear Talks {{DEFAULTSORT:France-Pakistan Atomic Energy Framework Energy treaties Nuclear safety and security France–Pakistan relations Nuclear technology in Pakistan 2009 in law Government of Yousaf Raza Gillani Treaties of Pakistan Bilateral treaties of France Secret treaties Nuclear technology treaties