New Delhi, July 21 (TMS): A “Cooperation Agreement” was signed between Minister for International Trade,British Columbia Teresa Wat and Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd AP Choudhary to promote and expand bilateral cooperation in the Minerals & Mining sector, to explore and encourage investment opportunities, development and exploration of mining related projects and exchange of technological research and innovation.
The delegation had a series of meetings with British Columbia and both the ministers identified opportunitiesfor mutual cooperation. It was acknowledged that Indian steel industry was growing at a fast pace requiring additional coking coal, which can be sourced from British Columbia. Various possibilities of sourcing coal from British Columbia, equity participation in coal assets, coal asset acquisition and other areas of interest were discussed apart from discussions with the coal asset owners and various avenues for sourcing coking coal to India to meet its ever growing requirement.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Minister of Steel Beni Prasad Verma and Premier of British Columbia Christy Clark. Earlier Verma was accorded a warm reception in British Columbia by the Premier Christy Clark during his visit to Vancouver.
Clark thanked Verma for his visit to British Columbia along with the delegation comprising of DRS Chaudhary, Secretary, Ministry of Steel; AP Choudhary, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd. Lokesh Chandra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Steel. Minister for International TradeTeresa Wat indicated that in recent years the Indo-Canadian relationship had been witnessing a new momentum in line with India’s economic growth.
Pact on tech coop too
A “Statement of Cooperation” was also signed by AP Choudhary, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Rashtriya Nigam Ltd. with CEO of IC-IMPACTS Centre of Excellence, University of British Columbia, to strengthen relationship, collaboration for technology development and transfer, network development, research partnerships related to promotion of steel, water conservation and augmentation, in the presence of Verma and Christy Clark.
DRS Chaudhary, Secretary to Govt. of India, Ministry of Steel; Ravi Shankar Aisola, Consul General of India at Vancouver; Lokesh Chandra, Joint Secretary(Steel) and officers from British Columbia were present.
Admiral Nirmal Verma, High Commissioner in Canada thanked British Columbia for the reception to the Indian delegation and for organizing the various meetings to enhance the bilateral cooperation between India and Canada.
