‘No plans to give asylum to Taslima’

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Express news service

Posted online: Friday , February 29, 2008 at 02:47:24
Updated: Friday , February 29, 2008 at 03:07:26

Kolkata, February 28 Almost negating his statement made at Puducherry on February 15, the French Ambassador to India Jerome Bonnafont today said here that his country has no plans to give political asylum to Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen.

“As far as I understand, Taslima Nasreen is safe in India and her visa has been extended. When she will be given the ‘Simone de Beauvoir’ award, the French President will be happy to extend her an invitation to visit France,” he said on the sidelines of a function here.

“She holds an European passport and can visit Europe anytime she wants,” he added.

Earlier in Puducherry, he had said that France wanted to give shelter to Taslima and his country expresses solidarity with individuals facing threat to life as per the French tradition of giving asylum.

Reiterating French support to India’s bid for the membership of the coveted United Nations Security Council, Bonnafont said that his country is in support of expanding the G8 to include India and other emerging nations.

On the issue of civilian nuclear energy cooperation, he said France is working with India to try to define a new system by which New Delhi could enter into nuclear cooperation in the civilian area with other countries.

Expressing satisfaction on the trade front, he said that in the past two years the quantum of trade had gone up considerably, adding that companies like Lafarge, Areva and Alstom were doing very good business in India.

He also called for greater investment by Indian companies in France, “as it is ranked number two in the world in foreign investments”.

He said that he was disheartened to find only 1,500 Indian students going to France every year for pursuing higher studies and promised to establish a fully functional French consulate in Kolkata by the end of 2008.

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