Prime Minister Stephen Harper this week called for further development of Canada and India's trade and investment relationship in a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Mohan Singh at the G8 summit at the lakeside resort town of Toyako, on the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan.
Harper and Singh discussed a range of issues, including Afghanistan, enhanced trade, civilian nuclear cooperation, and climate change.
Harper expressed his condolences at the loss of life at the Indian Embassy in Kabul and thanked India for its support and civilian assistance in Afghanistan. Singh thanked Harper and noted the long history of friendship between Canada and India.
Both prime ministers noted the importance of Canada's Indo-Canadian community in building economic and cultural links between the two countries. Harper has made a concerted effort to engage the Indian diaspora through consultations with members of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, Canada-India Foundation and other business and community leaders. As a result of those consultations Harper recently announced the opening of new trade missions in Kolkota and Hyderabad as well as an increased presence at the existing missions in New Delhi and Mumbai.
Both prime ministers also agreed to intensify efforts to complete a Foreign Investment Protection Agreement by the end of this year in order to create momentum in building the economic relationship.
Singh also raised the issue of civilian nuclear cooperation between India and other countries. Harper noted the G8 statement on this subject and said that Canada, while cautious on proliferation issues, would consider this issue with an open mind in the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Building Canada’s relationship with India has been a foreign policy priority for Harper. At a recent speech to the Canada-India Foundation, he stated: “Our government is expanding Canada’s reach in India beyond our traditional focus in the northern region. Because India’s boom is not just happening in the north, and Canada needs to be where all the action is.”
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