‘Made for each other’: PM Modi wills PM Trudeau to reignite India-Canada ties

Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India and Canada were “made for each other” as he met his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau for the first time during which they reviewed bilateral ties including the progress on nuclear cooperation. Prime Minister Modi and Trudeau met in Washington on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit. This was their first meeting after Trudeau came to power last year, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said while briefing reporters on the bilateral meeting. During Friday’s meeting, the two leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation including progress in the nuclear energy sector. Last year, Modi had held extensive talks with then Canadian Premier Stephen Harper after which Canada had agreed to supply 3,000 metric tonnes of uranium to energy-hungry India under a USD 254 million five-year deal to power Indian reactors. During the meeting on Friday, Prime Minister Modi noted that the cooperation in the nuclear energy sector was “progressing very well”, Swarup said. Last year’s agreement for uranium supply came two years after protracted negotiations following the 2013 civil nuclear deal between India and Canada. [caption id=“attachment_2708438” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau at the Nuclear Security Summit. AP[/caption] The two leaders also recalled their meeting when Modi visited Canada last year when Harper was the Prime Minister. Modi also congratulated Trudeau on his fantastic win in the November elections. Modi noted that there was new energy, dynamism and speed in India-Canada relationship since Trudeau assumed office. The Prime Minister pointed out that possibilities for cooperation on the economic front were immense and the potential for economic cooperation had not been utilised, Swarup said. Modi told Trudeau that India and Canada were “made for each other”. “The Prime Minister said Canada has all natural resources, India needs those resources. India also has human resource,” Swarup said. Trudeau also complemented Prime Minister Modi on his intervention last evening at the opening of the Nuclear Security Summit. The Prime Minister said India has a fruitful partnership with Canada and it is progressing well. “India is the land of Buddha and Gandhi and is committed to non-violence,” Modi was quoted as saying by Swarup. Modi noted that since his meeting with Canada’s pension funds managers, many things have happened and eight billion dollars have been invested in India. The subjects that the two leaders had discussed in their last meeting are now being implemented on the ground, Swarup said, referring to last year’s meeting that Modi had with Trudeau who was the then Leader of Opposition. “Trudeau said that India and Canada can both be leaders in non-proliferation arena in the world. Prime Minister said that India has had very fruitful relationship in the area of climate change and environment,” the spokesperson said. Modi also talked about his government’s flagship programmes. Noting that Canada has excess of human capital, Modi suggested that during the harsh winters, Canadian teachers can come and teach in India. Trudeau concurred and liked the suggestion, Swarup said. The Prime Minister also said poverty elimination was a top priority for him. He highlighted the progressive policies announced in the budget in the hydrocarbon sector, the spokesperson said. During their meeting, Modi also invited Trudeau to visit India. The invitation was accepted by Trudeau, who said he would love to come to India along with his family. Trudeau, 44, carries one of the most famous names in Canadian political history. His late father was prime minister for the better part of 16 years, between 1968 and 1984. Trudeau assumed office in November last year and surprised one and all by including four Sikh-Canadians in his Cabinet.