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Sarkozy joins Indian festivities

French President Nicolas Sarkozy paid honor to India's armed forces yesterday as the guest of honor at the country's Republic Day celebrations during a two-day visit aimed at cementing Indo-French ties.

Sarkozy joined India's first woman president, Pratibha Patil, as thousands of members of India's security forces -- army, navy, air force and an array of police and paramilitary units -- marched through the capital city.

Republic Day marks the adoption of India's democratic Constitution on Jan. 26, 1950. The country gained freedom from Britain in 1947 after two centuries of colonial rule.

Security was tight across the country, especially in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, where nearly a dozen rebel groups are fighting against Indian rule and observe the day as "black day."

Police say four bombs were discovered overnight in different parts of the Himalayan state, which they suspect were to be used to attack government forces during the day's celebrations.

On Friday, Sarkozy said the UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and India appear to be within weeks of an agreement on oversight of New Delhi's civilian nuclear program -- a deal key to a US atomic pact with the South Asian country.

"To the best of my knowledge, it's only a matter of weeks and the [IAEA] authorization will be given," he told reporters.

India's deal with the IAEA would be an important step in finalizing India's landmark atomic energy pact with the US -- as well as allowing it to press forward with similar agreements with France and other nuclear powers.

The IAEA had no comment on Sarkozy's statement.

France and India have completed negotiations on a civilian nuclear technology agreement, the two leaders said, but Sarkozy added that the agreement is dependent on India concluding its own agreement on nuclear safeguards with the IAEA.

India's economy is desperate for energy, and such deals would allow India to buy nuclear fuel and reactors. They would also bring India into the nuclear mainstream after decades of outsider status because of its refusal to sign nonproliferation treaties and its testing of nuclear weapons.

The trip was also designed to bring the two countries closer in everything from education exchanges to business.

"This partnership is long standing and rests on shared values and similar approaches to regional and global issues," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told reporters on Friday.

Notably absent from Sarkozy's visit was his girlfriend, model-singer Carla Bruni, who declined to accompany him, reportedly because they were not yet married. Much of the attention ahead of his trip was on whether she would join him -- particularly during his visit to the Taj Mahal, one of the world's most famous monuments to love.

Sarkozy and Bruni reportedly met in November, soon after his October divorce from Cecilia, his second wife. Sarkozy's openness about his private life has surprised many French, accustomed to presidents who keep their love lives under wraps.

The Taj Mahal was sealed off to tourists yesterday for the visit by Sarkozy.

Ticket sales to Indian and foreign tourists were stopped shortly after noon and those already inside the white marble mausoleum were shooed out as police and officials threw a tight security cordon round the monument, a reporter said.

The 40-year-old Bruni herself told the Liberation paper earlier this week that she would not be accompanying the president as they were not yet married.

Foreign ministry sources in conservative India had raised eyebrows over the prospect of Bruni attending as first lady due to protocol issues.

The romance has some French worried their president is neglecting his election pledges to slash unemployment and boost growth.

The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved queen, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to their 14th child. About 20,000 workers toiled for more than 20 years to build the tomb.
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