M A I N   N E W S

India, Canada sign N-pact
Both nations vow to eliminate terror scourge
Varinder Walia
Editor, Punjabi Tribune

Toronto, June 28
It was a historic day for India and Canada when both countries signed a nuclear agreement to promote and develop cooperation in civilian nuclear energy to mark the G-20 Summit. The agreement opens up the Indian market to Canadian nuclear exports, allowing Canadian firms access to India’s expanding nuclear market.

The agreement marks a turning point for Canada, which stopped nuclear cooperation after India’s nuclear tests in 1974 and in 1998. Earlier, India’s nuclear isolation ended after it signed a landmark agreement with the USA in October, 2008.

Dr Manmohan Singh said, “The Civil-Nuclear Cooperation Agreement would break new ground in the history of cooperation in this very important sector.”

The India-Canada Agreement for Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear-Energy, signed on the sidelines of G-20 Summit, provides for cooperation in areas such as design, construction, maintenance, sharing of operating experience and decommissioning of nuclear reactors, supply of uranium, projects in third countries, nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear waste management. The two countries are likely to promote cooperation in the development and use of nuclear energy applications in the fields of agriculture, health care, industry, environment, nuclear safety and environment protection.

The joint statement by Canada and India said the two countries reiterated the need for intensifying global cooperation in combating international terrorism.

Dr Manmohan Singh and his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper called for an early conclusion and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the UN framework. Both Prime Ministers solemnly observed the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the bombing of Air India flight “Kanishka” on June 23, 1985, in which 329 lives were lost. They condemned terrorism in all its forms and agreed to direct their respective governments toward greater cooperation in counter-terrorism and security-related matters.

Reiterating the need for intensifying global cooperation in combating international terrorism, they called for an early conclusion and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the UN framework.

Both leaders committed to expanding a range of activities and institutional frameworks that will contribute to the shared goal of increasing bilateral trade to $15 billion annually in the next five years.

During Prime Minister Harper’s visit to India in November, 2009, both countries had signed an MoU to establish a joint study group to explore the possibility of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and Canada. The two Prime Ministers welcomed the conclusion of the report in which the joint study group identified substantial potential economic gains that both countries could achieve through such an agreement. The two Prime Ministers noted that the recommendations in the report will be examined by both countries and necessary processes for obtaining approvals will be initiated immediately and the aim will be to complete it by the end of October.