A high-level meeting between the two sides will be held in New Delhi from Monday on the comprehensive economic agreement which aims at eliminating trade barriers to enhance commerce between India and the EU.
The government-run Invest In France Agency, tasked with attracting overseas business, has identified 300 Indian companies, mainly in IT and pharma sectors, as prospective investors in this country and plans to launch vigorous campaigns to tap these.
Mukherjee, who was in South Korea for a three-day official visit, came to the Korean Demilitarised Zone for a brief time.
As Maoists walked out of the Koirala government in Nepal, India on Tuesday expressed hope that all concerned would implement their previous understandings and resolve differences democratically.
On a three-day visit to Seoul since Sunday, he made it clear that the increasing cooperation between India and the US was not aimed at containing China.
"As India's largest neighbour and a key emerging player in the international arena, China remains an important priority of our foreign policy," said External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Mukherjee said the international community could have trade with India after a safeguards agreement is in place.
"India is always against any armed intervention by any country in another country," Pranab said.
Kumaran Padmanathan, who allegedly financed former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, was reported to have been detained in Thailand earlier this week.
Lauding India's track record on non-proliferation, Japan said it has been a "good boy" despite remaining outside Non Proliferation Treaty regime, but New Delhi should shoulder the responsibility to strengthen the NPT regime.
India on Wednesday asked industralised countries not to put the onus on developing nations in bringing down greenhouse emission levels as it would affect their development.
In a significant development, Australia on Tuesday promised to support the Indo-US civil nuclear deal in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and indicated its readiness to supply uranium to India.
India said on Tuesday it views the 16-member forum of the East Asia Summit as an opportunity to create a regional architecture for cooperation and deeper integration in the Asia Pacific region.
Maintaining that both India and the US are seriously trying to sort out the 'outstanding issues', he, however, refused to specify when the agreement will be firmed up.
At least 134 highly trained commandos will be despatched in two batches beginning this month for protection of Border Roads Organisation personnel constructing a crucial highway in Afghanistan, sources told PTI in New Delhi on Sunday.
The rejuvenated effort came with Japan recently showing active interest again in the joint endeavour after remaining lukewarm for about a year on its participation in the G-4.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee made it clear that the joint initiative was aimed at covering terrorism everywhere and no area can be kept out of its ambit as terrorists do not respect any territorial borders.
"The more we talk of the past, more we posture and more we take away the potential of the mechanism," Kasuri said in the interview.
Riaz Mohammad Khan said Jammu and Kashmir was 'disputed' and should not be 'mixed' with the initiative, which is between India and Pakistan only.
"We want to take relations forward," Menon said in his opening remarks.
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