India hails Canada's involvement in nuclear expansion

CANADA: India welcomes Canada's "strong involvement" in the expansion of its nuclear power capacity, Canada's Trade Minister Stockwell Day said Wednesday.

Day, on a four-day visit to the world's most populous democracy, also indicated in a statement that Canada aims to finalize a bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement with India "as soon as possible."

"I was encouraged by the very positive response I received from the ministers with whom I met," Day said after meeting with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath, National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan and Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal. "They made it clear that India welcomes the strong involvement of Canadian nuclear companies in this expanding market," he said.

As well, the two nations agreed to start exploratory discussions toward "a comprehensive economic partnership agreement," he said.

Ottawa,Thursday, AFP