Canada, India to sign key agreements during PM visit

Bal Krishna
Toronto, Jun 13 (PTI) India and Canada will sign key
agreements covering economic and cultural spheres and are
expected to begin negotiation on a comprehensive economic
partnership pact during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh who will be here later this month to attend G-20 summit.
Singh, who would accompanied by a high-powered Indian
delegation including Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission
Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and
National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon, would explore
new options to increase bilateral trade and investment with
Canada.
Describing June as a significant month for Indo-Canada
bilateral relations, Indian High Commissioner to Ottawa, S M
Gavai said the Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting
with his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper.
"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be in Toronto on
June 26 to participate in the G-20 Summit and the visit will
cover bilateral components and meeting with Canadian Prime
Minister Stephen Harper and conclusion of important
agreements," Gavai said at the annual gala dinner organised by
the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) here Saturday.
The agreements will be signed after a bilateral
meeting between Singh and Harper who will be hosting a special
dinner in honour of the Indian Prime Minister on June 27,
official sources said.
Over 400 top executives of Canadian companies are
expected to attend the dinner.
India and Canada will also sign a civil nuclear
agreement during the Prime Minister's forthcoming visit,
sources had said earlier.
The four-day visit commences on June 26.
Singh and his delegation would review progress in the
proposed comprehensive economic partnership agreement, the
Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (FIPPA),
an MoU signed between both countries in energy sector and
cultural and social security agreements with Harper, sources
said.
They said both countries were keen to strengthen their
economic ties and the forthcoming meeting between the two
Prime Ministers would be an important historic event.
A joint study group set up to explore the areas of
mutual interests for concluding a comprehensive economic
partnership agreement (CEPA) has concluded its study and
submitted its report.
When the two leaders meet they were expected to
release this study and negotiations would start. (MORE) PTI