Seeking to expand counter-terror cooperation, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper assured India that it was ready to share information about Tahawuur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, who along with David Headley, a US citizen, was arrested by the FBI last month for hatching a terror plot against India.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during wide-ranging discussions with visiting Canadian Prime minister Stephen Harper in New Delhi, raised the issue of Rana's financial transactions. Terrorism figured prominently during the discussions.
"We had fruitful discussions on expanding cooperation in dealing with terrorism. The matter is under investigation. It will not be proper for me to say more," Manmohan Singh told reporters at a joint press conference with Harper.
"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 the duo were also part of the 26/11 conspiracy.
Recalling the terrorist bombing of Air India flight 'Kanishka' over the Atlantic in 1985, in which more than 300 persons were killed, Harper said: "'We have felt the pain of terrorism together", adding that Canada faced threat from the same forces that threatened India.
Both countries signed an MoU on setting up a joint study group to examine the feasibility of a free trade agreement (FTA) and another on cooperation in the field of energy. However, the much-anticipated accord on cooperation in the civil nuclear energy field could not be signed.
However, Stephen said Canada considered India as a 'stable and reliable friend' and, therefore, it had no hesitation in entering into nuclear cooperation with this country.
Manmohan Singh pointed out that India had signed nuclear cooperation agreements with the US, France and Russia after it secured a waiver from the nuclear suppliers group (NSG) in September last year to undertake nuclear commerce. He said the nuclear cooperation accord with Canada would be signed in the near future.
The PM said there was a significant scope for greater investments by Canadian companies in areas of high technology and infrastructure development, and enhancing cooperation in the areas of science and technology, agriculture, mining, natural resources, education and energy.
In a joint statement, the two countries welcomed ongoing efforts to strengthen the institutional framework for bilateral relations, including working towards concluding negotiations on the bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement, social security agreement and the civil nuclear cooperation agreement.
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