The dapper French envoy to India, Mr Jerome Bonnafont, is leaving New Delhi this week after a ‘happy and personally satisfying' four years.

Excerpts from interview

We also believe our cultural, scientific and university cooperation is good but there is big room for improvement.

On EU and French complaint about high duty on imported spirits by India, denying due market access to their popular beverages

It is one of the main points discussed in the free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the EU. It is important that the import duty structure makes it possible to export French wine to India which we believe is not at all against development of wine production in India.

In India wine is only two per cent of the total alcohol consumption and the rest is other alcohols. Wine is extremely marginal and there is vast room for improvement. We are convinced by our culture that one can have wine as a health drink when it is taken in reasonable quantities by knowing what you drink and how to drink it.

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