Past Indo-Canada nuke pact has set foundation for cooperation, says envoy Patel

Canada's High Commissioner to India, Nadir Patel, on Thursday said the nuclear agreement signed between India and his country has set the foundation for a greater cooperation between the two nations.

"Well, the nuclear cooperation agreement that was signed within the last couple of years was important because it has set the foundation for the greater cooperation, and a number of areas. Administrative arrangements were also concluded with respect to the nuclear eco-system," Patel told ANI.

"Commercial discussions have been taking place on the sale of uranium. For example, we are hopeful to see fruitful results of those discussions at some point, but also the broader nuclear eco-system," he added.

Patel further said that Canada has a lot of capacity around nuclear waste management, training and safety.

"I think it will be a highly anticipated visit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be welcomed here unlike any other place that he has been welcomed. This will be the momentum that will take this relationship, already strong, to even greater heights," he added.

India and Canada pursue bilateral relations through the mechanisms of annual foreign office consultations, ministerial level strategic dialogue, ministerial level energy dialogue, joint committee on nuclear cooperation agreement, trade policy consultations, economic and

financial sector policy dialogue, joint working group on counter-terrorism, science and technology committee, environment forum, energy forum, steering committee on mining and earth sciences; and joint working groups on ICTE, education, pulses, plant protection, health, agriculture and SPS issues.

India and Canada have signed several agreements including the Air Services Agreement, Extradition Treaty, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and Agreement on Patents.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday left for his nine-day visit to France, Germany and Canada, with the objective of holding bilateral talks as well as people to people contacts with all three key global economic powerhouses.

MEA Special Secretary (Americas and CPV) R. Swaminathan had earlier on Wednesday said that this is the first stand-alone visit to Canada by an Indian Prime Minister in over 40 years.