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Canada, India to hold nuclear talks

Toronto: Having backed India at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for a waiver that ended its nuclear isolation, Canada is now negotiating a comprehensive atomic deal with the country which will allow New Delhi to develop civilian nuclear power plants.

Both sides had “informal” discussions in this regard last month and expect to schedule formal sessions soon, Canadian Foreign Office spokesperson Lisa Monette told PTI.

She said Canada signalled its support for India’s re-engagement with the broader nuclear-energy community when it backed the NSG’s decision on a waiver to India.

“India is a responsible democracy that shares with Canada the fundamental values of freedom, democracy, human rights and respect for the rule of law,” she said.

“India has made substantial non-proliferation and disarmament commitments to achieve the trust of the NSG, which were reiterated in a political statement on September 5.”

Ms. Monette said Canada and India had long-standing bilateral ties, built upon shared values of democracy and pluralism and strong people-to-people links.

The 2005 Canada-India Joint Statement reaffirmed Canada and India’s commitment to deepen their dialogue on key global issues and enhance cooperation in areas of mutual priority, including regional security and counter-terrorism, science and technology, environment, trade and investment, and people-to-people links, Ms. Monette said. — PTI

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