CANADA AND INDIA COMMIT
TO FURTHER STRENGTHENING THEIR RELATIONS

October 24, 2003
New Delhi, India

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today released the "Partners for the 21st Century Joint Statement" between the Government of Canada and the Government of India that will expand political, commercial and cultural ties. The leaders endorsed the agreement following a bilateral meeting held in New Delhi, India. Prime Minister Chrétien is on an official visit to India from October 24 to 25 which also includes stops in Amritsar and Chandigarh.

"Canada and India are putting in place the necessary framework to accommodate our rapidly expanding relations," said Prime Minister Chrétien. "Today's Joint Statement will facilitate the flow of trade and people between both countries, enhance bilateral cultural and academic exchanges and help to strengthen international and regional peace and security."

Highlights of the Joint Statement include:

• Enhancing Canada's diplomatic presence in India; • Expanding commercial and economic ties through identification of priority areas and sectors and annual trade consultations; • Extending the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of India and the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (SICI) to reinforce academic and cultural links; • Strenghtening the Canada-India Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism; • Enhancing strategic issues dialogue aimed at strengthening international and regional peace and security and improving cooperation on preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery; • Engaging in annual dialogue on global issues at the Foreign Minister/ Foreign Secretary and Deputy Minister levels;

• Encouraging greater ties between various segments of Canadian and Indian civil • society; and, • Promoting greater cultural exchanges.

The full text of the Partners for the 21st Century Joint Statement by India and Canada is attached.

PARTNERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 
JOINT STATEMENT BY INDIA AND CANADA

Prime Minister Chrétien and Prime Minister Vajpayee today committed their governments to an expanded partnership for the 21st Century.

While building on their historic ties, it was agreed that future efforts need to take into account the significant economic, political, and social changes underway in both countries. The two countries will strengthen government, commercial and civil society linkages as they forge their new partnership.

India and Canada will deepen their engagement in order to achieve the common objective of strengthening international and regional peace and security. The two leaders expressed their national stands on nuclear disarmament. However, they underlined the urgent need to increase international cooperation to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. The two countries agreed to enhance their strategic dialogue on all these issues.

The two leaders noted the progress in bilateral relations since re-engagement and welcomed in particular:

• The announcement of increased Canadian representation in India, through the establishment of a Consulate General in Chandigarh, upgrading of the Canadian Consulate in Mumbai to a Consulate General, and the appointment of a trade representative in Chennai;

• Significant investments by Indian firms in Canada in the field of information technology, as well as Canadian corporate investment in the Indian information and communications technology and financial services sectors;

• The extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of India and the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (SICI); and

• Cooperation on counter-terrorism, particularly through the Canada-India Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism – the first such working group established by India.

The Prime Ministers are committed to widening and deepening relations between the two countries through strengthened links between the two governments, encouragement of greater commercial and economic exchanges and closer contacts between their civil societies.

Strengthened Government Contacts

• Formalize an annual dialogue on global issues at the level of Foreign Ministers and Foreign Secretary/Deputy Minister to discuss bilateral, regional, international and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

• Strengthen cooperation in the global campaign against terrorism through the bilateral Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism and through cooperation in multilateral fora.

• Support the holding of the third meeting of the Indo-Canadian Legal Forum, involving the Supreme Courts of the two countries, at Ottawa in 2004.

• Maintain the significant momentum in high level visits with a view to achieving results on the shared vision for a new partnership.

Expansion of Commercial and Economic Relationship

• Commit their governments to increase the volume of bilateral trade and investment by jointly identifying priority areas and sectors for specific attention.

• Formalize, on an annual basis, recently launched trade policy consultations between India and Canada at the Deputy Minister/Secretary level, which cover both bilateral and WTO issues.

• Utilize the results, as appropriate, of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada review of bilateral trade, which includes reports on investment, merchandise and services trade, and the first ever comprehensive survey of the Canadian business community on doing business with India.

• Accord priority to an enhanced policy dialogue and strengthened bilateral cooperation in science and technology, research and development, and the environment.

Civil Society Linkages

• Encourage multiple-level contacts between the various segments of civil society, especially as there is a large and growing population of Canadians of Indian origin and India is the second largest source of immigrants to Canada.

• Promote greater cultural exchanges beginning with the early completion of a joint agreement on film, television and animation co-production.

The Prime Ministers agreed that the vision they outlined today will benefit both of their societies in the coming years. They committed their governments to sustaining the leadership required to realize this shared vision for the 21st century partnership.

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