By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : The Canadian government has announced it would open a new trade office in Gujarat.
The previous Liberal Party government had implicitly blacklisted Gujarat after the 2002 anti-Muslim riots.
Making this announcement at a luncheon by the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) here Wednesday, Canadian Prim Minister Stephen Harper said if his Conservative Party was voted back in next month’s election, it will open a new trade office in Gujarat.
The prime minister has already announced to set up new trade offices in Hyderabad and Kolkata and appoint more trade commissioners to deepen economic ties with India.
“We have (already) expanded operations at our trade missions in Delhi and Mumbai, and announced new trade offices in Hyderabad and Kolkata,” the prime minister said.
If his government is re-elected next month, he said, “we will give this country a commercial presence in the state of Gujarat.”
Referring to his commitment to the Indo-Canadian community in 2006 to reverse the trend in India-Canada relations, Harper said the two countries have “covered a lot ground together” since then.
He said the two countries have concluded a landmark foreign investment protection and promotion agreement.
“Expanding relations with emerging economic giants like India is a solid investment in Canada’s future prosperity,” said Harper.
Paying tributes to the Indo-Canadian business community, the prime minister said, “I am always specially impressed by the ambition and optimism of new Indo-Canadian entrepreneurs.
“Starting a new business is a big challenge in its own right. When it is part of starting a new life in a new land, it is even bigger challenge. But many Indo-Canadians across Canada have met this challenge and succeeded.”
Lauding the Canadian prime minister for supporting India’s civilian nuclear programme, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce president Asha Luthra said Harper is “a true friend” of India and the Indo-Canadian community.
She said Canada’s decision to back India for a waiver by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) has “reinvigorated” relations between the two countries.
Under Harper, Luthra said, India-Canada relations have gone from strength to strength.
“Trade between our two countries is at all time high. More and more Indo-Canadians are playing a role in public life through appointments to federal boards and agencies.”
She also thanked the prime minister for delivering on his promises to address the issues of importance to the Indo-Canadian community, including recognition of foreign credentials of new immigrants and the immigration backlog.