New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) India and Canada, an energy giant, are poised to take forward their civil nuclear deal and expand their trade and agricultural ties during the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper here.
Accompanied by a large business delegation, Harper will Sunday begin his six-day visit here that will also take him to Bangalore, Agra and Chandigarh.
He will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh focusing on fast-tracking the 2010 India-Canada nuclear deal and ramping up cooperation in diverse areas, ranging from counter-terrorism to trade, agriculture, energy and natural resources.
“The visit is part of our strong efforts to re-engage more closely with Canada,” Vikram Doraiswamy, joint secretary in charge of Americas in the external affairs ministry, told reporters here Thursday.
“We hope to have forward movement on implementing the nuclear deal during the visit,” he said in response to queries about the status of the India-specific safeguards agreement that is required to implement the nuclear deal.
The specifics and modalities of the agreement are being worked out, he said.
It will be within the framework of the India-specific safeguards agreement, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Indian law and the Canadian national law, Doraiswamy added.
During his visit to India in September, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird had lauded India’s non-proliferation credentials and stressed that Canada, a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, was not insisting on any “additional conditionalities” for supplying uranium to India and will follow the same pattern as it has with the US and the European Union.
Intensifying energy tie-ups and trade and investment will be high on the agenda.
India and Canada are negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to take their economic ties to next level. The next round of negotiations will be held in Canada mid-November.
Bilateral trade is currently estimated to be $5 billion. Indian investments in Canada are steadily growing and are estimated to be over $10 billion.
With Canada emerging as an agricultural superpower, India is also looking to scale up agricultural trade between the two countries. In the realm of energy, India’s OVL is hoping to acquire oil blocks in Canada.
Amid reports of stepped-up activities of Khalistan activists in Canada, India will also be taking up the issue with Canada during Harper’s visit.
