New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met her Canadian counterpart John Baird here on Tuesday for a discussion on Canada-India relations to strengthen bilateral economic ties between the two countries.
Baird also commemorated the International Day of the Girl Child at a school in New Delhi.
India and Canada were expected to discuss the bilateral issues at the meeting, including matters related to security, defence, counter-terrorism, space and nuclear cooperation.
The two countries had agreed to hold the annual dialogue during Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s visit to India in 2012 and the first dialogue was held in Toronto in 2013.
Baird, who is on a five-day visit to India, is accompanied by Canadian International Trade Minister Ed Fast and National Revenue Minister Kerry-Lynne Findlay among others.
Reportedly, the two sides wish to see bilateral trade reach higher peaks by 2015.
India also expects Canada’s assistance in government’s development and economic agenda in improving lives of people living in 500 cities which have more than 1,00,000 population and would also include skill training and urban planning.
Another key area of concern between the two countries is civil nuclear energy cooperation and the two nations signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement in 2010 that allowed them to initiate negotiations for supply of uranium.
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