EU non-committal on support to nuke deal, backs fight against terror

Helsinki, Oct 12 (UNI) The European Union (EU) was today non-committal on supporting to the Indo-US nuclear deal but strongly backed India in its fight against terrorism as well as its case for inclusion in an expanded United Nations Security Council.

''I would not like Finland to take a position on the nuclear deal reached between India and the United States because we are part of the European Union,'' Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, who currently holds Presidency of the EU, said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after extensive talks between the two leaders on a wide-range of bilateral issues as well as international developments, including counter-terrorism and matters of regional importance.

Finland is a key member of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which will take up the Indo-US nuclear deal for ratification only after it has been approved by the US Congress.

Mr Vanhanen, however, stated that each nation was free to take decisions in its own national interest in the field of energy.

The Finnish Prime X X X Eds pick up here from line one para five of DF13, EXTERNAL-MANMOHAN-FINLAND.

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