Prime Minister’s remarks during Joint Press Interaction
17/11/2009
His Excellency Prime Minister Stephen Harper,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is a great honour for me to extend a very warm welcome to Prime Minister Stephen Harper on his first visit to India as the Prime Minister of Canada. This had been a long overdue visit and we are extremely honoured that Prime Minister Harper has been able to accept our invitation.
Relations between India and Canada are of a long standing nature. They derive their strength from our shared values of democracy, respect for fundamental human rights and multiculturalism. Canada is host to a large Indian origin community of over one million. This reflects the strong people-to-people links that exist between us, and which have enriched our relationship.
Our bilateral relations have greatly strengthened since Prime Minister Harper assumed office. This is particularly true in the areas of trade and investment. A large number of Indian corporate entities have invested in Canada and several Canadian companies have entered the Indian market. There are however vast opportunities for doing much more.
There is significant scope for greater investments by Canadian companies in areas of high technology and infrastructure development, and enhancing cooperation in the areas of science and technology, agriculture, mining, natural resources, education, and energy. The Memorandum of Understanding we have signed on Energy will facilitate greater cooperation in this very wide area. We look forward to cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy.
To further boost our trade, which is currently below 5 billion US dollars, we have decided to set up a Joint Study Group to examine the possibility of a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. We are also working to further strengthen the institutional mechanisms for cooperation such as a Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement and a Social Security Agreement.
We have decided to organize a year-long Festival of India in Canada in 2011 to showcase India's culture and economic progress, and have invited Canada to organise a similar Festival in India.
We reviewed the process of global economic recovery and how we can prepare for the next G-20 Summit which Canada will host. We had a useful exchange of views on climate change, energy security, nuclear disarmament and regional issues.
I conveyed to Prime Minister Harper India's grave concern over the scourge of international terrorism and the threat posed to pluralistic societies like India from extremist ideologies. We reaffirmed our commitment to deepen our cooperation to counter these threats.
Prime Minister Harper's visit has imparted a fresh momentum to India-Canada relationship. We will take all the necessary steps to further intensify our interaction in all areas.
Thank you.
New Delhi
November 17, 2009