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India signed a bilateral social security agreement with France during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the European nation on Tuesday.

The social security agreement will result in benefits for more than 200,000 Indian nationals working in France and for French nationals working in India. Under the agreement, workers on short-term contract up to 5 years, do not have to make any social security contribution provided they continue to make social security payment in India and France respectively.

For Indians working in France, these benefits shall be available even when the Indian company sends its employees to the French Republic from a third country.

Indian workers shall be entitled to the export of the social security benefits if they relocate to India after the completion of their service in France. The self-employed Indians in France would also be entitled to export of social security benefit on their relocation to India.

The period of contribution in one contracting state will be added to the period of contribution in the second contracting state for determining the eligibility for social security benefits.

The bilateral agreement provides for totalisation of insurance periods pertaining to both countries for determination of entitlement to benefits.

Negotiations are currently on for conclusion of an agreement with Switzerland. Discussions are scheduled with Norway and Sweden in the next few days.