Ottawa, April 15 (IANS) In the first visit by an
Indian prime minister in 42 years, Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that
ties with Canada had gone "adrift in the past" and that he hoped to make
the visit "a springboard" to take the bilateral partnership in trade,
investment and innovation to a new level.
Modi, who arrived to a
rapturous welcome from Indian nationals at the airport, has a packed
schedule. He was welcomed by Canadian Multiculturalism Minister Jason
Kenney, Indian High Commissioner Vishnu Prakash and a large number of
Indo-Canadian leaders on his arrival here from Germany on the final leg
of this three-nation visit.
In an Op-Ed piece in The Globe and
Mail on Wednesday, Modi said: "After more than four decades, an Indian
prime minister is visiting Ottawa."
"Our relationship has been
adrift in the past. The potential of our partnership remained a promise
on a distant shore. However, in recent years, India and Canada have
begun rediscovering each other. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has led
with great vision to chart a new, more purposeful course in our
relationship. As in Canada, the relationship enjoys broad political
support in India."
He said both will "encourage and facilitate
closer engagement between our industries". He said that both sides would
"benefit immensely" by early conclusion of a Bilateral Investment
Protection and Promotion Agreement, and Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement.
On civil nuclear energy, Modi said:
"During this visit, our two countries will resume commercial
co-operation in civil nuclear energy after decades. This will be a
defining symbol of our mutual trust and understanding, and of our
willingness to look beyond the boundaries of the past to the
opportunities of the future."
He called on Canadian Governor
General David Johnston and will then meet Prime Minister Stephen Harper
and attend a working lunch. He will attend a diaspora event in the
evening.
There is a palpable buzz in Canada about Modi's visit.
Former prime minister Indira Gandhi had visited the country in 1973.
Canadian prime ministers have, however, been visiting India quite
regularly.
Modi arrived here after visiting France and Germany.
Bilateral
trade and investment top the agenda of Modi's talks with his Canadian
counterpart Stephen Harper and CEOs of major Canadian companies.
In
particular, Modi is wooing Canadian pension funds which hold over $600
billion. A deal may be clinched for first Uranium supplies from Canada's
Cameco under the nuclear deal signed by the two countries in 2010.
Modi then moves to Toronto where he will attend a pension fund meeting followed by business level meetings.
He will visit the Air India Memorial in Toronto.
The
Indian prime minister then leaves for Vancouver, where he will visit
the Laxmi Narayan Temple and interact with the Indian community. He will
also visit a gurdwara and interact with the Indian community.
Canadian Prime Minister Harper will host a state dinner for Modi. Modi flies back to India on April 16.
The
bilateral trade between India and Canada is still stuck in the region
of $6 billion, much lower than Canada's trade of over $60 billion with
China.
Modi said that as Gujarat chief minister, he has "experienced the strength and value of Canada's partnership".
"I
seek the same for India. In turn, as Canada looks west to the Pacific
and Asia, she will find no stronger partner than India in the dynamic
region. The success of our partnership will also reinforce our shared
ideals in the world, which is so important for its peaceful, sustainable
and prosperous future," he said.
Modi will visit Toronto on Thursday and Vancouver the following day during the visit.
Ottawa, April 15 (IANS)
The Indo-Canadian community is set to give a rock star like welcome to
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who landed here on Tuesday for his
three-day visit.
Modi was welcomed by Canadian Multiculturalism
Minister Jason Kenney and Indian High Commissioner Vishnu Prakash and a
large number of Indo-Canadian leaders on his arrival at Ottawa airport
from Germany.
There is a palpable buzz in Canada about Modi's
visit as he is the first Indian prime minister to come here in 42 years
since Indira Gandhi’s visit in 1973. Canadian prime ministers have,
however, been visiting India quite regularly.
Modi arrived in Canadian capital Ottawa after completing his France and Germany sojourn.
Bilateral
trade and investment top the agenda of Modi’s talks with his Canadian
counterpart Stephen Harper and CEOs of major Canadian companies.
In
particular, Modi is wooing Canadian pension funds which hold over $600
billion. A deal may be clinched for first Uranium supplies from Canada’s
Cameco under the nuclear deal signed by the two countries in 2010.
Though
a breakthrough on the proposed free trade agreement is unlikely, the
process is going to get the impetus during Modi’s talks with Canadian
leaders.
Both sides showed some urgency to clinch the free trade
accord as they had proposed to triple their bilateral trade to $15
billion by 2015, but both the targets have eluded them as Canada is
reluctant on giving free access to Indian temporary workers and visitors
and India is also wary of giving unhindered access to Canadian goods.
The
bilateral trade between India and Canada is still stuck in the region
of $6 billion, much lower than Canada’s trade of over $60 billion with
China.
In fact, India accounts for just one percent of Canada’s
foreign trade, with fertiliser, iron ore, wood, lentils and canola oil
among its major export items to India.
With Modi wooing
investment for India’s infrastructure and making a pitch for his Make In
India programme, both countries are likely to fast-track ratification
of the investment treaty signed in 2012 to give safeguards to investors
against unfair treatment.
Major Canadian companies such as
Bombardier, McCain Foods Ltd, Sun Life Financial Inc, BlackBerry,
Brookfield Asset Management Inc., etc, have a presence in India.
Modi
will impress upon Canadian investors about his government’s agenda to
open more sectors to foreign investment. There is also buzz about an
announcement by Modi for visa on arrival for Canadians.
Apart
from official discussions, Modi’s engagements with the 1.2
million-strong Indo-Canadian community include a Madison Square
Garden-like 'concert’ at Toronto’s Ricoh Coliseum with a full house of
10,000.
The newly formed National Alliance of Indo-Canadians
(NAIC) is organising the event in which Canadian Prime Minister Stephen
Harper will also speak.
After his Toronto engagements, Modi will
travel to Vancouver where he will visit the oldest Ross Street Sikh
temple. He will also visit the Laxmi Narayan Temple in Vancouver’s
neighbour city of Surrey which is home to the largest concentration of
Indians in Canada.
Giving a typical Bollywood welcome to Modi in
Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, choreographer Shiamak Davar’s troupe
will perform in the three cities.
Modi’s three-day visit ends with a dinner with the host PM in Vancouver.
(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)