Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper called on President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Tuesday and discussed a host of bilateral and multilateral issues.
The President said India and Canada shared fundamental values as two inclusive democracies wedded to federalism, pluralism, individual liberty and human rights. Mr. Mukherjee invited Canada to be partner in India’s development, especially in the fields of energy, mineral resources, infrastructure and food security. The President said there was a need to encourage more investment in both directions, from Canada in India’s infrastructure and from India, in Canada’s resources sector.
The President said cooperation with Canada in agriculture was crucial to India’s food security as the nation imported 40 per cent of pulses and 25 per cent of potash requirements from Canada. With India’s large and growing population, food security in the coming years was a strategic imperative for India, and Canada could be an important partner in this regard, he pointed out.
Mr. Harper welcomed the President’s views and said there was a need to focus on few areas and deepen the engagement between the two countries.
