India, Canada to negotiate N-deal

Having backed India at the NSG for a waiver that ended its nuclear isolation, Canada is now negotiating a comprehensive atomic deal with the country which will allow New Delhi to develop civilian nuclear power plants.Both sides had "informal" discussions in this regard last month and expect to schedule formal sessions soon, Canadian Foreign Office spokesperson Lisa Monette said. She said Canada signalled its support for India's re-engagement with the broader nuclear-energy community when it backed the Nuclear Suppliers Group's decision on a waiver to India. "India is a responsible democracy that shares with Canada the fundamental values of freedom, democracy, human rights and respect for the rule of law," she said. "India has made substantial non-proliferation and disarmament commitments to achieve the trust of the NSG, which were reiterated in a political statement on September 5." Monette said Canada and India have longstanding bilateral ties, built upon shared values of democracy and pluralism and strong people-to-people links. .