Salman Khurshid to visit Canada

India and Canada will hold their first round of the Strategic Dialogue when External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid travels to that country on Saturday for a visit during which key bilateral issues including trade and nuclear energy cooperation will be discussed.

Khurshid will be in Canada from the September 21 to September 23 and the visit is primarily for the first round of the strategic dialogue between India and Canada, the Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs said.

He referred to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's visit to India last year during which the two countries had agreed that the External Affairs Ministers will meet annually for a strategic dialogue.

Khurshid and his Canadian counterpart John Baird will jointly chair the Dialogue in Toronto on September 22.

Subsequently, the External Affairs Minister will also travel to Ottawa where he will meet other senior Ministers including the Minister for Economy, the Minister for Trade, Immigration and Natural Resources.

During Harper's visit in November last year, Canada and India had also announced the conclusion of negotiations for an Appropriate Arrangement pursuant to the formal Cooperation Agreement between the two countries in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.

In March this year, Canada's nuclear regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and India's Department of Atomic Energy co-signed the Appropriate Arrangement, paving way for the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement to come into force. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission will oversee the implementation of the Agreement.

The pact and supporting appropriate arrangement will allow Canadian firms to export and import controlled nuclear materials, equipment and technology to and from India to facilities subject to safeguards applied by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

From there, the External Affairs Minister is scheduled to travel to New York to join Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's delegation for the United Nations General Assembly session.