CANADA, INDIA & SASKATCHEWAN URANIUM

[Oscar]

CANADA, INDIA & Saskatchewan uranium



Saskatchewan - the 'Saudi of Arabia' of Uranium! – Premier Wall Speech in Calgary on January 21, 2008 – Page 7

[ http://www.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMed ... &PN=Shared ]


= = = = = = =


PREMIER PART OF HISTORIC URANIUM ENERGY DEAL SIGNING WITH INDIA

[ http://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/n ... with-india ]

Released on April 15, 2015

Saskatchewan’s uranium mining industry is today celebrating a milestone achievement, as a historic new agreement with India sets the stage for shipments of Canadian uranium to that country for electricity generation.

Premier Brad Wall was in Ottawa this morning for the signing of a supply contract between Cameco Inc., a subsidiary of Saskatoon-based Cameco Corporation, and the Department of Atomic Energy of India. The premier witnessed the signing along with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Canada on a state visit.

“I would like to thank the federal government and Prime Minister Harper and the Government of India and Prime Minister Modi for reaching the agreement and business framework that made the Cameco contract possible,” Wall said.

“India has a dynamic and growing nuclear energy program, and the opportunity to supply this major customer is a huge deal for our industry, the workers it employs and the Saskatchewan communities it supports.”

The Canada-India Nuclear Co-operation Agreement came into force in September 2013, thus allowing Canadian companies to export nuclear products for peaceful uses to India.

The premier promoted Saskatchewan’s uranium resources during his two trade missions to India in March 2011 and November of last year. During the first mission, he met with Modi, then the chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat.

“Premier Wall and the Government of Saskatchewan have always championed our industry, both domestically and internationally,” Cameco President and CEO Tim Gitzel said. “That support played a big part in helping open the doors for our business to one of the world’s most promising uranium markets.”

India’s nuclear energy program is second only to China’s in its scale. The country has 21 reactors currently in operation, with another six under construction and scheduled to come online in 2017. India expects to supply 25 per cent of its electricity from nuclear power by 2050.

“Saskatchewan is already our nation’s top exporter to India, and we’re delighted to be part of its future energy mix,” Wall said. “We have the resources that India and other rapidly-developing countries in Asia need.

Those countries are increasingly seeing our province as a major contributor to global energy and food security, and we are poised to dramatically increase our exports to these markets as a result.”

Saskatchewan is home to 100 per cent of Canada’s uranium mining industry.

Our province is the world’s second-leading producer of uranium and the Athabasca Basin contains the world’s largest high-grade uranium osits. -30-

For more information, contact:

Kathy Young, Executive Council
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0425
Email: kathy.young@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-526-8927


= = = = = =




Will Modi's visit to Canada include the signing of a Canada-India FIPA?


[ http://canadians.org/blog/will-modis-vi ... india-fipa ]

April 13, 2015 - 10:29 am

When Narendra Modi was elected the prime minister of India in May 2014, Stephen Harper stated, "I look forward to working with Prime Minister-elect Modi and the new government of India to further strengthen our social and economic partnership to the benefit of our citizens."

That "economic partnership" could include Canada-India 'free trade' and 'investment protection' agreements.

Harper has long wanted a 'free trade' agreement with India. In November 2009, his government indicated it intended to conclude a Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) within four years. He promised such an agreement to voters during the 2011 election in Canada and in a January 2012 speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos he again stated, "We will work to complete negotiations on a free-trade agreement with India in 2013."

That hasn't happened yet, but undoubtedly Harper hopes that the Modi government will ratify the the Canada-India Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (a FIPA signed in June 2007, but never ratified), while the Canada-India Business Council sees a CEPA being signed soon.

Reuters now reports, "Indian and Canadian negotiators are rushing to iron out differences in a long-stalled foreign investment protection pact in time for Modi's visit to the North American nation, an unnamed Indian government source... Concerns in New Delhi over certain provisions of the negotiated pact, which allow a foreign investor to sue the host country at an
international dispute settlement agency, are believed to be the reason behind the deadlock."

The Toronto Star has also reported, "A free-trade pact with India would increase sales of a Canadian exports sectors such as forest products, minerals, manufactured goods, agricultural products, fish and seafood products, machinery, construction materials, aerospace and environmental technologies, the federal government said." In 2012, Reuters reported,
"[Then energy minister Joe] Oliver said he would try to boost Canadian energy exports to India. Canada exported $1.4 billion worth of natural resources to India last year — including only $4.1 million in energy products — and Oliver said he sees great potential for more trade."

That "potential" could also reportedly include greater Indian investment in the tar sands, uranium exports to India, and the export to India of Canadian expertise in the infrastructure for hydroelectric transmission (related to dam construction).

Modi will be visiting Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver between April 14 and 16.

The Council of Canadians opposes investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions in 'free trade' and 'investor protection' agreements, such as the proposed Canada-India CEPA and FIPA. We call for transparent and democratic negotiations for fair trade agreements that benefit people, respect human rights and protect the environment. We reject 'free trade' agreements that
constrain governments from acting in the public interest and that entrench corporate rights.

Further reading

Third round of Canada-India free trade talks start (December 2011 blog)
[ http://canadians.org/node/8103 ]

India's tax on corporate mergers could derail Canada-India free trade talks (March 2012 blog)
[ http://canadians.org/node/8362 ]

Harper in India to seek a free trade deal (November 2012)
[ http://canadians.org/node/8904 ]

Canada-India FIPA talks appear stalled (November 2012)
[ http://canadians.org/node/8920 ]

Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]

- - - - - -


Likelihood of Canada-India FIPA & CEPA said to be slim

[ http://canadians.org/blog/likelihood-ca ... id-be-slim ]

April 14, 2015 - 8:29 am

The Council of Canadians is warning against Stephen Harper's agenda of 'investor protection' and 'free trade' agreements with India.

While the Harper government wants the already-negotiated Canada-India Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) ratified and to restart the stalled Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) talks, Globe and Mail columnist Barrie McKenna points to the obstacles on both these fronts.

McKenna writes, "[CEPA] remains mostly an aspirational goal" because of "India’s highly protected market and the entrenched positions of both sides on key sensitive issues." He specifies, "A key stumbling block to full free trade is that Canada wants a lot in terms of access for its goods in a highly protected market, but has relatively little to offer in return because tariffs are already relatively low here. And Ottawa is reluctant to give the one thing India really wants – freer mobility of visitors and temporary service workers here, [according to Stewart Beck, chief executive of the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada]."

With respect to the FIPA, McKenna explains, "The deal sets ground rules for investors, allowing them to seek compensation for unfair treatment. But India suspended all such deals, including the one with Canada, over concerns that it could face a flood of investor challenges. Instead, India is now drafting its own investment rules, hoping foreign countries such as Canada
will agree to them."

The context for this is the Indian government's attempt to recover as much as $2.4 billion in taxes from Vodafone India Services Pvt. Ltd., an Indian subsidiary of UK-based transnational Vodafone Group Plc. In 2012, Vodafone responded by threatening an investor-state challenge through a bilateral investment treaty. In the end, the case was heard by the Bombay High Court.

In October 2014, the court ruled in favour of Vodafone. But the initial threat of an investor-state challenge by the company prompted a review by the Indian Parliament of investment protection agreements.

Given the obstacles in moving forward on a FIPA and CEPA, McKenna adds, "Ottawa is seeking improved market access on a product-by-product basis. As evidence of progress, Canadian officials point to India’s decision this year to accept imports of Canadian ash lumber products, and eastern spruce in 2013. There is also talk of a deal that would see Saskatchewan-based Cameco Corp.. resume Canadian exports of uranium to feed India’s nuclear reactors."

The Council of Canadians opposes investor-state dispute settlement provisions in 'free trade' and 'investor protection' agreements, such as the proposed Canada-India CEPA and FIPA. We call for transparent and democratic negotiations for fair trade agreements that benefit people, respect human rights and protect the environment. We reject 'free trade' agreements that
constrain governments from acting in the public interest and that entrench corporate rights. We have also called for a ban on uranium mining which creates toxic tailings and poses water contamination and other environmental risks and health hazards.

Further reading

Will Modi's visit to Canada include the signing of a Canada-India FIPA? (April 2015 blog)
[ http://canadians.org/blog/likelihood-ca ... id-be-slim ]

Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]

- - - - - - -




Narendra Modi visit: Why India matters to Canada

[ http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/narendra-m ... -1.3033018 ]

Harper chases free-trade agreement as India courts Canada for uranium deal

By Matt Kwong, CBC News Posted: Apr 15, 2015 5:00 AM ET| Last Updated: Apr 15, 2015 11:16 AM ET

Canada welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a three-day visit.

CBCNews.ca will have live coverage throughout the day, including events in Ottawa and a major Modi speech before a large crowd in Toronto at 7:30 p.m. For two countries that Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls "natural partners" in a new global economy, Canada and India might appear to share a rather meek business relationship. Not even one per cent of Canadian
exports currently ship to India, with goods exports around $3.1 billion in 2014 — less than one-sixth what Canada exports to China. Promising to open India to global commerce, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic three-day Canadian tour this week seeks to change that. [ . . . . ]

- - - - - -

India, Canada likely to sign commercial nuclear pact during PM Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Ottawa

[ http://articles.economictimes.indiatime ... clear-test ]

Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, ET Bureau Apr 1, 2015, 01.56AM IST

NEW DELHI: India and Canada are likely to sign a commercial pact for supply of Canadian fuel to India's existing nuclear power plants during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit to Ottawa next month. The two nations had signed the civil nuclear cooperation agreement in 2010 followed by the administrative arrangement in 2012. Ever since Canada's principal
uranium producer Cameco has been holding commercial negotiations with Indian entities for supplying uranium to fuel nuclear power plants that has faced uranium shortage. [ . . . ]

- - - - - - - - - - -


Canada-India uranium supply deal likely

[ http://article.wn.com/view/2015/04/12/C ... al_likely/ ]

News, videos, etc.

- - - - - -

ENTERPRISE SASKATCHEWAN SIGNS MOU WITH GUJARAT, INDIA COUNTERPART
[ http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=9121d5 ... f78d274256 ]
News Release - September 9, 2010

[Oscar]

Uranium deal with India signals new era, Modi tells Harper

[ http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015 ... ronto.html ]

Trade, energy, the environment, security, and culture are expected to be among the issues Harper and Modi will discuss during the visit.

By: Les Whittington Ottawa Bureau reporter, Published on Wed Apr 15 2015

At a joint press conference on Parliament Hill with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, right,, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the nuclear deal “is a mark (of Canada’s) trust and confidence” in his country.

OTTAWA—Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off his visit to Canada by signing a uranium supply deal with Ottawa he says signals a new era in cooperation between the two nations.

At a joint press conference on Parliament Hill with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Modi said the agreement that will see hundreds of millions of dollars worth of uranium exported to India from Saskatchewan annually “is a mark (of Canada’s) trust and confidence” in his country.

“And this is going to take forward our relations,” Modi told the media, adding that uranium for India’s civilian nuclear program will help his country address global warming through “clean energy” and thus allows India “to give something to the world.”

Harper, who will accompany Modi to Toronto and Vancouver during the Indian leader’s three-day visit, agreed the uranium sales deal will end the lingering tension arising from India’s use of Canadian equipment to develop a nuclear bomb in the 1970s — which Harper said created “an unnecessarily frosty relationship for far too long.”

In an unexpected comment, Harper also said the two leaders agreed to push hard for a quick resolution of Canada-India free-trade talks, which have been bogged down since 2010. Harper, whose efforts to land free-trade deals with Canada’s important trading partners will be a key plank in his campaign leading up to the October election, said the deal with India would be
completed by September.

Harper acknowledged that trade between Canada and India remains modest but is on the increase.

MORE:

[ http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015 ... ronto.html ]