New Delhi - India and Canada on Tuesday signed an agreement to facilitate cooperation in energy security and another accord aimed at reaching a bilateral free trade agreement. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper also held talks in New Delhi on a range of bilateral issues, including enhancing trade and investment, civil nuclear cooperation as well as the global financial crisis, counterterrorism efforts and climate change.
According to a joint statement, the energy agreement will accelerate cooperation in the areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency, oil and natural gas, power generation, transmission, distribution and end-use, energy research and development.
Another accord creates a study group into closer economic partnership between the two countries. The group will hold its first meeting in early December and conclude the study within six months.
The two leaders also discussed a number of initiatives to triple bilateral trade from the current levels of 5 billion dollars to 15 billion dollars in the next five years.
According to local media reports, a nuclear cooperation agreement might be signed when Singh goes to Canada to attend the G20 summit in June next year, when he is also set to hold bilateral talks with Harper. Singh and Harper said they were hopeful of beginning civil nuclear cooperation soon.
