With Narendra Modi set to arrive in Canada for the first visit by an Indian prime minister in a generation, a poll shows Canadians are wary of striking a uranium deal with the country.
Modi arrives Tuesday for a three-day visit to Canada, the first by an Indian prime minister in over 40 years. He’s due to meet with political and business leaders, while a possible deal to sell Cameco Corp. uranium to India is expected as soon as Wednesday, a person familiar with the talks said last week. Such a deal would be the first for the Saskatoon-based miner.
Saskatchewan’s premier, Brad Wall, has lauded the possibility of a uranium deal and said it would boost Cameco revenue and support jobs in Saskatchewan.
Canadians, though, are against any such pact, according to an Internet survey by Angus Reid Institute.
While 81 per cent of respondents see trade with India as a “can’t-miss” or “important” opportunity for Canada, 60 per cent said they opposed helping develop India’s nuclear energy industry, according to the poll.
Modi is due to arrive in the evening and meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor General David Johnston on Wednesday morning, according to an itinerary from the Indian government. He will go to Toronto Wednesday evening, staying there until leaving for Vancouver Thursday, the final stop of his visit.
Modi is scheduled to meet with pension funds, business leaders and members of Canada’s Indian community during his trip, according to the itinerary.
Harper’s office has said the countries intend to focus on boosting co operation on economic issues, counter-terrorism and energy.
The two countries reached a nuclear co operation agreement in 2012 that took effect the following year.
Saskatchewan’s Wall told Bloomberg last week a uranium sale deal wasn’t yet completed, while Cameco has been pushing to finalize one that could mean hundreds of millions in revenue over several years.
The Angus Reid poll of 1,475 respondents showed 70 per cent of Canadians have a favourable view of India, while 58 per cent believe Harper should pursue a free-trade pact with the country.
The poll used responses from an online panel and has no formal margin of error, though Angus Reid estimated the comparative margin for a poll of this sample size would be within 2.6 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
More respondents favoured pursuing ties with China than with India, when asked to choose between the two countries. The poll also found 78 per cent of Canadians, presented with a photo of Modi, were unable to identify him.