French nuclear decision

Press, 18 December 1976, Page 8

French nuclear decision

NZPA Paris The French Government ) has announced that it will ' no longer sell nuclear reprocessing plants to other countries because it does not want to contribute to the threat of nuclear proliferation.

The decision was announced after the third meeting of the newlyestablished Nuclear Policy Council, under the chairmanship of President Giscard d’Estaing. The decision will apparently not affect the al-ready-contracted sale of a nuclear reprocessing plant to Pakistan, to which the American Secretary of State (Dr Flenry Kissinger) has taken strong objection on the ground that it could lead to a dangerous proliferation of nuclear weapons on the Indian sub-continent.

The Nuclear Policy Council has promised all countries which purchase Fre n c h-made nuclearpower reactors that France will guarantee their fuel supplies, making it unnecessary for these countries to obtain their own enrichment or reprocessing plants (which can be used to make nuclear weapons).