India on Thursday pressed France to find a “mutually acceptable resolution” of the ban on Sikhs wearing turbans in public places. Paris indicated its willingness to discuss the sensitive issue.

“For our Sikh brothers, turban is a symbol of dignity. It is a sensitive issue. We had discussions with our French friends to find a mutually acceptable solution,” external affairs minister SM Krishna said while addressing a joint media briefing with the visiting French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe.

Juppe explained there was no discrimination against Sikhs in France. He said France is democratic, and is also secular. “It is difficult to explain...For us, religion must not interfere in political and day to day life. And so, we have passed the legislation banning the use of religious signs in public places,” he said. He said Sikhs are treated like Christians, Jews or any other community. He also said he has conveyed to SM Krishna that they are willing to work out a solution to this issue. In 2004 France had passed a law banning all religious symbols and signs in public places.

Juppe arrived on Wednesday for a dialogue with India on a wide ranging strategic issues. He will be flying back to France on Saturday.

Krishna said he had written to his Italian counterpart on the problems faced by the Sikhs. “We are pursuing this matter with the European Union as well and we look forward to finding a mutually acceptable resolution of this sensitive issue.”

During talks, the two sides discussed a wide array of bilateral issues including in defence, space and civil nuclear cooperation.