SPEECH
BY SHRI K.R.NARAYANAN, PRESIDENT OF INDIA, WHILE RECEIVING CREDENTIALS FROM MR. PETER H. SUTHERLAND,
HIGH COMMISSIONER-DESIGNATE OF CANADA
NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 23, 2000
Excellency,
I am immensely
pleased to receive your credentials accrediting you as the High Commissioner
of Canada to India. I extend to you and your family a warm welcome on
behalf of the people and Government of India. I am confident that your
stay in India will be a rewarding and productive experience.
India and
Canada are fortunate to have many natural affinities of shared democratic
values, common commitment to the rule of law, basic human freedoms and
pluralism. There has also existed a deep personal understanding among
the leaders of the two countries. I myself have had the pleasure of knowing
your former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, whose recent passing
away I condole deeply
Anchored
on the many commonalties, our two countries have sought to develop a relationship
of friendship and co-operation that is also mature and resilient. The
task before our two countries, Excellency, is how to build on the areas
of agreement, while giving each other enough space to manage our differences,
in a spirit of accommodation and mutual respect.
We live
in a world that is more intertwined than ever. Developments in one corner
of the world can have an immediate impact at the other end of the world.
This brings with it new challenges that increasingly demand joint and
cooperative approaches to solutions. I am pleased to note that over the
years, India and Canada have been able to launch several joint initiatives
aimed at the equitable solutions to global issues. We have particularly
worked together in peace-keeping operations in different parts of the
world.
One such
effort was the setting up the Indo-Canadian Working Group on Counter-terrorism.
This arrangement has worked well and in the three meetings held so far,
the two sides have shared valuable information and deliberated on ways
to make the mechanism more effective. As international terrorism bares
its fangs everywhere affecting the lives of innocent people across countries,
there is need to intensify our cooperation. With the increasing mobility
and sophistication of technology available to terrorists, we should put
in place effective mechanisms for quicker sharing of information and better
co-ordination of counter-terrorists strategies on the part of states.
Trade and
investment continue to be one of the important drivers of bilateral relations
between India and Canada. Our programme of economic restructuring and
liberalisation has received the support of the Canadian Government and
elicited positive response from the Canadian business community. In India,
the process of economic reforms is closely linked to improving people’s
standard of living and meeting the needs of the weaker sections. India
and Canada have worked together in these important areas. Similarly, in
the area of development cooperation too, India and Canada have worked
together in fields such as power, agriculture, transportation, telecommunications
and environment protection.
Excellency,
our two countries have had fruitful cooperation in higher education and
learning, which should be further encouraged. I firmly believe that relationships
need the nourishment and underpinning of a broader, deeper intellectual
exchange outside the government contacts. India has a vast network of
higher education centres, including that of distance learning. Given Canada’s
excellent facilities in the field of education, this is one more area
rich in possibilities.
Another
area which merits particular mention is that people-to-people contact.
The Indian community has prospered and thrived in the salubrious environs
of Canada. I am happy to note that they have not only contributed to but
also participated enthusiastically in the economic, social and political
process of Canada. The recent election of Mr. Ujjal Dosanj as the first
Indo-Canadian Prime Minister of a province speaks of the distance the
community has traversed. I am equally happy to note that even as they
have made Canada their home, the ties that bind them to India remain strong,
adding a valuable dimension to the bilateral relations between our two
countries.
Let me conclude,
Excellency, by wishing you the very best for your assignment in India.
We look to you to build upon, diversify and expand the new dynamism and
vitality which is evident today in our relationship. I assure you the
fullest co-operation of my government in your efforts to achieve this
objective and wish you the very best in your endeavours.
Thank you
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