PM Modi Reaches Ottawa , To Hold Talks With Canadian Counterpart Harper On Wide Range Of Issues

15 April, Ottawa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Canadian capital Ottawa this morning on the final leg of his 3-nation tour. He was received at the airport by Minister of National Defence and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney and Minister for International Trade Ed Fast, among others.

A large group of members of the Indian community was also present at the airport to greet Modi. They also gathered at the hotel where the Prime Minister is staying and raised slogans to welcome him.

This is the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Canada in over 42 years.

Modi will hold talks with his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper on a wide range of issues, including nuclear energy, trade and investment. He will also reach out to the Indian diaspora in Toronto and Vancouver. The visit is being portrayed by Stephen Harper’s office as a chance to broaden trade involving education, energy and science and technology.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Syed Akbaruddin said, the main focus of the bilateral talks will be energy, education, agriculture and terrorism apart from investment from pension fund. He said, Canada is one of the largest producer of nuclear fuel. Akbaruddin also said that Canada has a good community education system which can help us in skill development.

In Toronto, the Prime Minister will visit the memorial set up for the 1985 Kanishka air crash victims. 329 passengers were killed in the crash following bombing of an Air India plane. Mr Modi will also meet the top executives of the Canadian national pension funds who have about two hundred billion dollars to invest. Canadian investment in India is low at five billion dollars.