Canada has not given up on India's potential as partner for free trade, says former Defence min

Canada's former defense minister Jason Kenney has said his country has not given up on India's potential as a partner for free trade, even when the US and Europe have canceled their negotiations with it.

Kenney, who was a minister in the previous Harper government, also supported cooperation between the two countries on intelligence-sharing, including financial transactions, to combat terrorism.

"I have to express a certain frustration with the extremely slow pace of negotiations on the Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (FIPA) and the Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) of the Harper government, of which I was a member, which had launched these negotiations," he told PTI.

He said FEPA was launched in 2009, CEPA in 2011 and "here we are years later with no promotion. We still have to make progress. It is frustrating".

The former defense minister, who is now the leader of opposition United Conservative Party in the Alberta state of Canada, said he was the "biggest Indofile" in Canadian politics and wished India moved to the next level of economic cooperation and achieved its economic potential in the world.

He said at some point of time, India is going to have to make its decision about whether it wants to take the next step to that level of market openness.

"We will be at the front of the queue when Europe and the US have canceled their free trade negotiations with India," he said.

"We have not given up. Canada has not given up on India's potential partner at that next level. I hope India at some point feels the confidence to move to that level with these agreements," Kenney said.

Asked about Canada's cooperation on efforts to combat terror funding, he favored more cooperation and intelligence-sharing between the two countries.

"When I first came to India 11 years ago, I met the then National Security Adviser, M K Narayanan, to discuss cooperation on national security and one of the issues discussed was the cooperation on tracking dark money supporting extremism," he said.

He said there is a fair degree of cooperation between the Indian and Canadian intelligence agencies in this regard.

"We are countries that have both been inflicted by terrorism and both believe in the rule of law and have been targeted by terrorists because of these democratic values. So, it is imperative that the two countries cooperate on intelligence-sharing, including the financial transactions," he said.

Kenney is on a week-long visit to promote economic and cultural ties in India, including Punjab, from where a large part of his Alberta state electorate hail from.

He said though he understands that India is undertaking ambitious reforms and it cannot undertake everything at once, "but I understand that there are certain industries that feel the need for continued protection, but ultimately if India really wants to achieve its economic potential, it is going to have to be more open in a rules-based system to foreign investment".

"That means that countries like Canada are going to expect protection for its investors through a feedback and greater market access through a free trade agreement," he said.

Alberta is rich in oil and seeks to cooperate with India on fulfilling its needs from there.

The Canadian leader has met Union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Radha Mohan Singh, Harsimrat Badal, Nitin Gadkari and among others, besides Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh during his visit.

He also met a number of MPs from some parties, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress, AAP, RJD, at a meeting hosted by Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa.

He said he is a strong supporter of a "united India" and is against those aiding separatist movement and extremism.

"I have been a huge supporter of a united India and an opponent of those who seek to exploit the emotions of some to allow a kind of festering of the separatist movement and other forms of extremism. Canada has been touched by different kinds of extremism emanating from South Asian terrorism, including Tamil Tigers extremism and the jihadi terrorists," Kenney said.

His comments came in the wake of some leaders of the ruling Liberal Party of Canada extending their support to Sikh separatists, who comprise a part of Canada's electorate.

The Punjab chief minister had alleged that some ministers of the Justin Trudeau government, including Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan, had links with Punjab separatists.

Kenney also said that he would not tolerate glorification of people responsible for violent terrorism, including the Kanishka bombing, and urged Canadian politicians to maintain distance from anything seen as endorsing or glorifying the use of violence for political ends.

He, however, did not criticise Prime Minister Trudeau for coming in support of separatist elements of Punjab, saying he respects the convention of not attacking the head of the government when outside of Canada.

"I stand in total solidarity with the views of Indian leaders in the security of this great democracy," he told a gathering of parliamentarians here.

He was accompanied by a delegation of his party that comprised Alberta state legislators Indian-born Prasad Panda and Devin Dreeshen.