Canada-India business ties unshaken by Mumbai attacks: Canada

TORONTO: Canada is actively pursuing comprehensive nuclear and business agreements with India to boost bilateral ties and business relations which remain "unshaken" by the Mumbai terror attacks, a top official of the foreign office has said.

"Canada-India business ties are unshaken by the Mumbai attacks, and the country's top priority is to finalise nuclear and business agreements with India," Ken Sunquist, Assistant Deputy Minister (Asia and Africa) and Chief Trade Commissioner in the foreign office said here addressing a conference.

"Both sides had 'informal' discussions in October and expect to schedule formal sessions soon," Sunquist said, adding that Canada signalled its support for India's re-engagement with the nuclear-energy community when it backed NSG's decision to end three decades of atomic apartheid.

Referring to Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries, he said it was premature to say anything about it as many technicalities still have to be discussed and one of the choice for the government was to move incrementally.

Private sector leaders in Canada and India recently concluded a joint report on the benefits of a free trade agreement between the two countries that under consideration of the government, he said.

"The relationship today is at a point where we can all say with great satisfaction a lot of things are happening and both sides are very keen on taking this relationship forward," Preeti Saran, Consul General of India, said.

However, bilateral trade, which is around USD 4 billion, does not reflect the potential that exists, she said.