EU urges India to sign non-proliferation pact

The president's call came as key European powers -- Britain, France and Germany -- are trying to reach an agreement with Iran to persuade it to stop nuclear enrichment.

"We are quite concerned about proliferation," Josep Borrell told reporters in New Delhi at the end of a seven-day visit to India.

"Of course, India and Iran are completely apart" but the European Parliament has passed a resolution asking New Delhi to sign the non-proliferation treaty, he added.

"If India had signed the non-proliferation treaty cooperation would have a better framework ... our civil cooperation will be much more efficient," he said.

"Everything would be easier if India were part of this treaty."

India, which conducted nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998, has consistently refused to sign the treaty, calling it discriminatory.

In March, India and the United States clinched an agreement under which New Delhi would get access to previously forbidden civilian nuclear technology.

India, in return, has agreed to separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities and put the former under international safeguards.

The US House of Representatives gave its go-ahead to the deal in July, but it must still be approved by the Senate before being implemented.

Some US critics have said the agreement would not only make it harder to enforce rules against nuclear renegades Iran and North Korea, but also set a dangerous precedent for other countries with nuclear ambitions.

Tehran says its nuclear programme is aimed at generating electricity and has sought talks on Western concerns but ruled out a formal enrichment moratorium.