Canada 'very close' to signing nuclear agreement with India
Toronto: Jun 07, 2009 -- Asia Pulse Data Source
Taking forward the bilateral ties, Canada will soon sign a deal
> with India to sell nuclear technology and uranium for civilian use,
> paving the way for opening up of the lucrative Indian market to this
> country's atomic exports for the first time in more than three
> decades.
>
> "We're very close to having an agreement with India related to
> the civilian use of nuclear energy for the purpose of helping them
> meet their energy needs," Canadian International Trade Minister
> Stockwell Day said yesterday at 32nd gala dinner organised by the
> Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC).
>
> "I don't like to put an hour and a day on it, but these are
> fairly complicated agreements and we're just about there," he said.
> "There's just a
> few items left."` Earlier, Shashishekhar M Gavai, India's High
> Commissioner to Canada, had said that officials of both sides had
> already exchanged the draft agreement and deal would be signed soon.
>
> "An expert Canadian team was in Mumbai last month to work out,
> with the Atomic Energy Commission of India, final technical details
> and conditions under which business can be done," he said.
>
> The pact, which sources said could be signed within three months,
> will open up the vast Indian market to Canadian nuclear exports for
> the first time in more than 30 years.
>
> During the event yesterday, Day also announced four new joint
> research projects worth 6.7 million dollars to boost research in
> health sector, including in the fields of malaria, cancer, nuclear
> medicine (Positron Emission Tomography or PET) and MRI and advanced
> diagnostic. Ten eminent Indo-Canadians -- Suresh Thakrar, Terry
> Papneja, Soham Ajmera, Vivek Rao, Sonia Anand, Jamal Deen, Suraj Kumar
> Gupta, Hari Pandey, Asha Seth and Surinder (Pal) Ghumman -- were also
> honoured on the occasion for their excellence and outstanding
> contributions to Canadian economy.
>
> Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Indian counterpart
> Manmohan Singh, in their messages, congratulated ICCC for its efforts
> in promoting bilateral trade and investment.
>
> Besides Day, Indian High Commissioner Gavai; Ontario Premier
> Dalton McGuinty; Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign
> Affairs, Deepak Obhrai; Ontario Minister for Small Scale Industries,
> Harinder Takhar; Gurbax Singh Malhi and Ruby Dhalla, both member of
> Parliament; and Preeti Saran, Consul General of India, were among
> those present on the occasion Gavai also presented a cheque for Rs 15
> lakh as India's contribution to the Canadian side for advance research
> for sick children, under which five Indian medical professionals would
> be trained in Canada in the next three years and work for mutual
> benefits.
>
> He announced that in 2011, India would hold the 'Indian Festival
> in Canada' in which top artists and performers from the country would
> educate Canadians about the Indian cultural heritage and emerging
> economic opportunities.
>
> Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty commended India's economic
> progress and said that his government was committed to strengthening
> trade relations with India.
>
> He said that since 2003, the trade between Ontario and India grew
> by
> 84 per cent and there were tremendous opportunities for Ontario to
> help India in providing green and clean technologies as the province
> had 2600
> environment- friendly technologies.
>
> Asha Luthra, President of the ICCC, said that the ICCC was
> committed to strengthening bilateral trade and investment.
>
Taking forward the bilateral ties, Canada will soon sign a deal
> with India to sell nuclear technology and uranium for civilian use,
> paving the way for opening up of the lucrative Indian market to this
> country's atomic exports for the first time in more than three
> decades.
>
> "We're very close to having an agreement with India related to
> the civilian use of nuclear energy for the purpose of helping them
> meet their energy needs," Canadian International Trade Minister
> Stockwell Day said yesterday at 32nd gala dinner organised by the
> Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC).
>
> "I don't like to put an hour and a day on it, but these are
> fairly complicated agreements and we're just about there," he said.
> "There's just a
> few items left."` Earlier, Shashishekhar M Gavai, India's High
> Commissioner to Canada, had said that officials of both sides had
> already exchanged the draft agreement and deal would be signed soon.
>
> "An expert Canadian team was in Mumbai last month to work out,
> with the Atomic Energy Commission of India, final technical details
> and conditions under which business can be done," he said.
>
> The pact, which sources said could be signed within three months,
> will open up the vast Indian market to Canadian nuclear exports for
> the first time in more than 30 years.
>
> During the event yesterday, Day also announced four new joint
> research projects worth 6.7 million dollars to boost research in
> health sector, including in the fields of malaria, cancer, nuclear
> medicine (Positron Emission Tomography or PET) and MRI and advanced
> diagnostic. Ten eminent Indo-Canadians -- Suresh Thakrar, Terry
> Papneja, Soham Ajmera, Vivek Rao, Sonia Anand, Jamal Deen, Suraj Kumar
> Gupta, Hari Pandey, Asha Seth and Surinder (Pal) Ghumman -- were also
> honoured on the occasion for their excellence and outstanding
> contributions to Canadian economy.
>
> Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Indian counterpart
> Manmohan Singh, in their messages, congratulated ICCC for its efforts
> in promoting bilateral trade and investment.
>
> Besides Day, Indian High Commissioner Gavai; Ontario Premier
> Dalton McGuinty; Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign
> Affairs, Deepak Obhrai; Ontario Minister for Small Scale Industries,
> Harinder Takhar; Gurbax Singh Malhi and Ruby Dhalla, both member of
> Parliament; and Preeti Saran, Consul General of India, were among
> those present on the occasion Gavai also presented a cheque for Rs 15
> lakh as India's contribution to the Canadian side for advance research
> for sick children, under which five Indian medical professionals would
> be trained in Canada in the next three years and work for mutual
> benefits.
>
> He announced that in 2011, India would hold the 'Indian Festival
> in Canada' in which top artists and performers from the country would
> educate Canadians about the Indian cultural heritage and emerging
> economic opportunities.
>
> Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty commended India's economic
> progress and said that his government was committed to strengthening
> trade relations with India.
>
> He said that since 2003, the trade between Ontario and India grew
> by
> 84 per cent and there were tremendous opportunities for Ontario to
> help India in providing green and clean technologies as the province
> had 2600
> environment- friendly technologies.
>
> Asha Luthra, President of the ICCC, said that the ICCC was
> committed to strengthening bilateral trade and investment.
>