India, Canada announce civil nuclear deal

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: Justifying his assurance in New Delhi, on a state visit to this country early this month, that glitches obstructing a Indo-Canadian nuclear pact would be sorted out with minimum fuss, Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper announced a nuclear agreement that will see both nations resuming nuclear technology and uranium trade after a gap of 34 years. Indian prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh said the development "augurs extremely well" for the ties between the nations.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh meeting the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Stephen Harper, on the sidelines of CHOGM 2009

Indications are the deal is likely to be signed when Dr Singh goes to Canada to attend the G20 summit in June next year.

The breakthrough was announced here Saturday after talks between the premiers on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at this capital city of Trinidad and Tobago.

"We have now got an agreement which means this is a tremendous opportunity for both countries," Harper said.

Stressing that it was "a tremendous step forward" in bilateral relations, Harper said, "Canada is a supplier, obviously an integrated supplier in the nuclear energy field, and India is an expanding economy that has great energy needs."

The nuclear agreement may be considered an important breakthrough for both nations as bilateral relations have never been warm ever since Canada suspended nuclear trade after New Delhi's 1974 nuclear test, accusing India of misappropriating nuclear fuel from a Canadian-designed reactor for its test.