INDIAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met with Foreign Minister John Baird and International Trade Minister Ed Fast in New Delhi.
Baird is on a visit to India for the second round of Strategic Dialogue between the two countries which is co-chaired by the Indian External Affairs Minister, according to Modi’s website.
Modi welcomed close cooperation between India and Canada and expressed satisfaction at the comprehensive nature of bilateral ties, including economic cooperation, agriculture, security, civil nuclear energy, education, and science and technology.
Modi called for strengthening bilateral engagement in the areas of trade and investment, energy, healthcare, infrastructure development and people-to-people contacts.
Baird conveyed the commitment of the Government of Canada under Prime Minister Stephen Harper to further strengthen the Strategic Partnership with India and extended an invitation to Modi to visit Canada. Fast also sought earlier conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement between the two countries.
Modi thanked Baird for Harper’s invitation and said that he looked forward to visiting Canada at a mutually convenient date. Modi also said that he looked forward to meeting Harper at the G-20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia, in November 2014.