"The Parliament is calling on India to sign a treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons as it is an indispensable multi-lateral instrument for maintaining international security and stability," visiting EU Parliament President Josep Boreel Fontelles said in his address at the Indian Council of World Affairs in New Delhi.
"Signing it would open the way to civil nuclear cooperation with Europe," he said.
Fontelles lauded India's efforts to create a world without confrontation under the Non-Aligned Movement.
He said the world has not become multi-polar and "is still dominated by the super power -- the US". He stressed the need for India and the EU to work together in creating a multi-polar world because both share the same democratic values.
"The same cannot be said of China and other countries. Neither the European Union nor India will like to see (the world being dominated) by the US or China," he said.
He hoped the upcoming India-EU summit on October 13 would provide new impetus to their relations and strengthen the strategic partnership.
Referring to the Doha round of WTO talks, he said every possible effort should be made to reach an agreement.
However, he said even if the Doha talks fail, "...we must be prepared to strengthen our relations any way". Fontelles also expressed confidence that EU-India trade will grow as the potential between the two sides was enormous.
India and the EU need to work together for international political stability, he said, identifying two areas of common interest -- tackling terrorism and avoiding a "clash of civilisations".
He stressed that human rights must not be violated while tackling terrorism.
Lauding India for successfully avoiding a "clash of civilisations", Fontelles said the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi could play an important role in this regard.
The EU Parliament, he said, has decided to promote a dialogue between civilisations and sought the cooperation of other countries to achieve this goal.
