India finalised its return from the nuclear cold by signing a safety accord with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), part of moves to put an end to a 34-year-old embargo on nuclear trade with New Delhi.

France already had a bilateral accord with India and will now look forward to earning a slice of a market for nuclear fuel, reactors and other technology which experts value at 100 billion euros (142 billion dollars) over 15 years.

"Putting this accord into effect will allow new cooperation agreements with India in civilian nuclear power. France welcomes the partnerships that can now be sealed between Indian and French bodies," the foreign ministry said.

French nuclear power engineering company Areva is to sign a deal this week to export uranium to Indian plants run by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), which would have been banned during the embargo.

French firms are also keen to export reactor technology.

The embargo was put in place after India tested nuclear weapons in 1974. It tested them again in 1998, under pressure from newly nuclear-armed rival Pakistan, and has refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Nevertheless, under a US-led initiative to restart cooperation and exports, India has now negotiated a deal to give IAEA inspectors access to its plants.

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