Canada, India ink uranium deal but foreign interference questions linger

The Prime Minister has inked a $2.6 billion deal to supply India with uranium, as well as billions in other commercial deals, and has begun negotiations on a comprehensive free trade deal.

But the agreement and reset of relations with India come as new allegations emerge about the Indian government’s involvement in the murder of a Canadian Sikh activist.

Striking a series of deals with Indian Prime Minister Nardendra Modi, Mark Carney is aiming to move past years of diplomatic friction.

“This is not merely the renewal of the relationship, it is the expansion of a valued partnership,” says Carney.

The two nations revealing 10 commercial agreements worth a combined $5.5 billion.

Including a $2.6 billion deal for Saskatoon-based company Cameco to supply just under 22 million pounds of uranium to India over nine years.

The two countries also signing memorandums of understanding on critical minerals and energy.

“We are launching a strategic energy partnership with significant potential to expand bilateral energy trade,” Carney says.

Carney and Modi also say they want a free trade deal completed by the end of the year.

READ MORE: Carney, India’s PM Modi announce new partnerships during meeting in New Delhi 

“With the aim to double trade by the end of this decade,” says Carney.

“India’s goal is that by 2030 our trade [with Canada] reaches $50 billion. It is our priority to unlock the full potential of economic cooperation,” says Prime Minister Modi.

A press conference scheduled for after the announcement was cancelled because officials say the meetings ran long.

Questions about Indian meddling in Canada hang over the deal – with the government pressured to clarify if it believes India is still engaged in foreign interference in Canada.

Late Sunday night the Globe and Mail published a report citing two unnamed sources who claim Indian consular staff in Vancouver – including a man who was believed to be with India’s intelligence agency – provided information to assist in the assassination of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

A senior government official told reporters last week that Canada is confident Indian foreign interference has stopped.
“The words of the senior official are not words that I personally would use,” says Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand when pressed about the assessment.

She says she’s raised the issue of foreign interference in her meetings with Indian counterparts.

“There is agreement between Canada and India to continue to ensure the safety and security of the Canadian population,” Anand says.

Prime Minister Carney made his way to Australia on Monday for the next leg of his trip.

He will then head to Japan on Friday.

READ MORE: PM Carney brings his ‘middle-power diplomacy’ to India, begins 10-day trip