Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's speech at the banquet hosted in the honour of the Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada

Your Excellency Prime Minister Harper,
Madam Laureen Harper,
Distinguished Guests,

I and my wife are delighted to welcome you, Mr. Prime Minister, and Madam Harper, on your second visit to India. We have very warm memories of our visit to Toronto in 2010. We are therefore glad to have this opportunity to reciprocate your very gracious hospitality on that occasion.

Mr. Prime Minister, we welcome you here as a friend and as an ardent advocate of closer ties between India and Canada. Your vision for this relationship and your sustained commitment to pursue it has placed our ties firmly on a growth path. You have worked not only to expand opportunities, but also to address concerns in our relationship. The civil nuclear agreement of June 2010 heralds a truly changed paradigm in our cooperation.

We also admire your stewardship of Canada at a time of great challenge for the global economy. Your contribution to the G-20 process and your efforts to deepen Canada’s global engagement, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, are noteworthy.

Your Excellency,

India and Canada have every reason to have a close partnership. We are defined by democracy and diversity. We face many similar challenges and we have a common interest in a peaceful and stable Asia Pacific region. Our economic synergies hold enormous potential for mutually beneficial partnerships. More than a million Canadians of Indian origin are a testimony to the values that our two societies deeply cherish. They form an enduring bridge of friendship between our two countries and I am pleased to see some of them here today.

Your Excellency,

At the dawn of India’s independence, Indian and Canadian leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Louis Saint Laurent and Lester Pearson defined a vision of great promise and potential for this relationship between our two countries. Subsequently, for reasons that we need not dwell on tonight, we were adrift for many years. Now, however, we have set a new course in our relationship.

I believe that we stand at the cusp of a historic moment in India-Canada relations. As we discussed today, exciting opportunities await us in diverse fields such as energy, education, agriculture, mining, science and technology, defence, counter-terrorism and the knowledge economy. As Governments, we should, in partnership with our institutions and businesses, seek to harness the full potential of our cooperation in these areas. I am confident that, with your visit today, we will add further momentum and purpose to the new and enriching journey that has already begun for our two countries.

With those words, Ladies and Gentlemen, may I request you to join me in raising a toast:

- to the health and happiness of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mrs Laureen Harper;

- to the continued growth of the India-Canada partnership; and

- to the happiness and prosperity of the friendly people of Canada.

Thank you.