Good relations with Canada a priority, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday stressed the importance of good relations between New Delhi and Ottawa while meeting his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper here.

Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted about the encounter between the two leaders.

"Good relations with Canada are a priority for India - PM @narendramodi to PM @pmharper," he wrote, also posting photograph of Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Harper.

Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Harper also held bilateral talks pertaining to issues of mutual interest to both nations.

Last month, Prime Minister Modi had received Canada Foreign Minister John Baird and Canada Minister of International Trade Ed Fast in the national capital. During their interaction, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at the comprehensive nature of bilateral ties between India and Canada, and called for strengthening bilateral engagement in the areas of trade and investment, energy, healthcare, infrastructure development and people-to-people contacts.

Prime Minister Modi had also had a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Harper after a shoot-out in the Canadian Parliament and the attacks on Canadian military personnel in Ottawa and Quebec respectively, with the former condemning the attacks and expressing commiserations on behalf of people of India.