Canada promises India help over Rana, hopeful of nuclear deal (Roundup)

NEW DELHI - Hoping to conclude a civil nuclear agreement soon, India and Canada Tuesday decided to expand their counter-terror cooperation by exchanging information about Tahawuur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin who along with David Headley, a US citizen, was arrested last month for hatching a terror plot against India.

The two sides also sought to add more economic muscle to their ties by agreeing to set up a panel to explore the possibility of a free trade area between them.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on a range of bilateral issues, including trade and investment, civil nuclear cooperation, as well as the global financial crisis, terrorism and climate change.

Two pacts were signed after wide-ranging talks. The pact on energy is aimed at accelerating 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.

The other pact mandated the setting up of a joint study group to explore the possibility of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and Canada. The joint study group will hold the first meeting in the first half of December, with the aim of concluding the study within six months.

The two sides focused on a wide array of steps, including creating a broad institutional framework, aimed at tripling bilateral trade from around $5 billion to $15 billion in the next five years.

“The two governments welcomed ongoing efforts to strengthen the institutional framework for bilateral relations, including working towards concluding negotiations on the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, the Social Security Agreement, and the civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement,” a joint statement said.

But a civil nuclear agreement, which was speculated to be the showpiece of Harper’s visit to India, did not materialise as some finer details remained to be sorted out. The deal may now be signed when Manmohan Singh goes to Canada to attend the G20 summit in June next year where he will also hold bilateral talks with the Canadian leader on the sidelines.

The nuclear agreement promised to transform bilateral relations, that turned frosty when Ottawa cut off atomic trade after New Delhi’s 1974 nuclear test.

Addressing a joint press conference, Manmohan Singh said: “Very soon, we will have a nuclear cooperation agreement.”

“India is a stable and reliable partner. We have no hesitation in concluding a civil nuclear cooperation agreement,” Harper assured. Expanding counter-terror cooperation and the situation in Afghanistan figured prominently in the talks.

Manmohan Singh raised the issue of the financial transactions of Rana with Harper. “We had fruitful discussions in expanding cooperation in dealing with terrorism. The matter is under investigation. It will not be proper for me to say more,” Manmohan Singh said. “We discussed the issue and resolved to cooperate in sharing information about this matter,” Harper replied. “We are in touch with our American friends,” he added.

Headley and Rana were arrested in Chicago last month by the FBI for planning terror attacks against India and Denmark. Emails intercepted by the FBI disclosed that the two men were in regular touch with top commanders of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terror group. New investigations have revealed that Headley and Tahawwur Rana were also part of the conspiracy behind the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Harper strongly condemned the terrorist attacks in Mumbai and expressed the hope that those behind the attacks would be swiftly brought to justice. Harper also assured that Canada stood firmly with India in dealing with global terrorism. The two leaders called for an early conclusion of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the UN framework, said the joint statement.