Harper and Singh meet, but India-Canada civil nuclear pact not signed

Harper and Singh meet, but India-Canada civil nuclear pact not signed during Canadian Prime Minister’s visit

New Delhi: The expected civil nuclear agreement between India and Canada was not signed on November 17, 2009, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper met.

Negotiators from both countries had met a week ago in an attempt to remove the obstacles in the way of a joint agreement on use of nuclear power for civilian purposes, which could have been a milestone in India’s improved relationship with Canada.

An agreement in this regard will let Canada sell India nuclear technology, and the agreement would have been in accordance with a memorandum of understanding on constructing more nuclear reactors with Canada’s CANDU technology.

India has a special interest in Canada, which is one of the biggest exporters of uranium.

According to reports, Cameco, the Canada-based mining and energy company, which has significant operations in Saskatchewan in Canada, is planning to set up its marketing office in India in order to explore opportunities of supplying uranium fuel to India.

India and Canada have announced a number of initiatives in such diverse areas as agriculture, mining technology, as well as a joint study group for a free-trade pact.

Stephen Harper had told Indian businessmen in Mumbai the other day that Canada is eager to share its expertise as also invest in fields such as science and technology, renewable energy and nuclear energy, and medical research projects.

Meanwhile, India and Canada have signed an agreement to set up a joint study group to boost trade and economic relations between the two countries and aiming at taking the bilateral trades to worth US $15 billion in the next 5 years annually.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed following the delegation-level discussions and later talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Yet another agreement, on bolstering cooperation in the sphere of energy, was signed, with a view to meeting the increasing energy needs in India, since Canada has is now become a superpower in the area of energy.

Manmohan Singh said that another pact, on cooperation in using nuclear energy for civilian purposes, is on the cards.

In a joint statement issued at the end of the discussions, Manmohan Singh and Stephen Harper recognised the contributions being made by the Indian-origin community living in Canada in improving ties between the two nations.

The talks between the two leaders included such issues as climate change, the impact of the global economic depression, as well as the Doha Round of negotiations.

Both agreed to initiate efforts at improving as well as diversifying bilateral ties.

Manmohan Singh and Stephen Harper said they are not only satisfied with the functioning of institutional mechanisms that guide bilateral cooperation but also will launch new mechanisms to fortify bilateral ties.

The two Prime Ministers acknowledged education as “an area of new momentum” and stressed the need for cooperation in the areas of science, technology, innovation, and linkage between institutions of higher learning in both countries.