NEW DELHI: Visiting Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien has urged India to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Speaking to correspondents after being given a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapali Bhavan by Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, Mr. Chreticn said that the NPT would be “very much” on his mind during his talks with Indian leaders.
“Every nation in the world should be able to sign the NPT. We hope that India will find a way out to be able to accept it the Canadian leader said adding that he would invite India to participate in discussions on the issue.
Me, Chreticn’s visit, the first by a Canadian PM in 25 years, has been dogged by the nuclear controversy following a note from Canada to India ‘on behalf of the G7 last year to join the NPT regime, Although the Canadians have denied that the note was a demarche, it has been treated as such by the Indian side and created misgivings.
Six agreements were signed in the evening including one on the avoidance of double taxation which is expected to give a fillip to commercial ties between the two countries.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 17, 1996
