Punjab, Canada to fast track projects

Agreeing to resolve pending issues between both sides, the Canadian federal government and the Punjab government Friday agreed to fast track projects.

Canadian International Trade Minister Edward Fast, who met Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here Friday, assured to resolve all pending bilateral issues of trade, commerce and agriculture related to Punjab on top priority.

Fast promised to resolve the issue for setting up of the Food Development Centre (FDC) in Punjab at the earliest on the lines of one set up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in the spirit of memorandum of understanding (MoU) already signed between Canada's Manitoba province and Punjab government in June 2009.

The Canadian minister said that cordial ties had existed between Punjabis and Canadians since long time, and Punjabi immigrants had contributed immensely in the overall socio-economic development of Canada.

The minister evinced interest in collaborating with Punjab for the cultivation and promotion of Canola oil, in which Canada is a leading producer, saying that it was emerging as the best cooking oil internationally.

Fast and Badal agreed that meeting between both sides that the meetings should not be merely a formality, but must be result-oriented.