Hon. Joe Oliver
Former Minister for Natural Resources January 15, 2014 Mumbai To the Confederation of Indian Industries: Thank you and good evening everyone. I’m so pleased to be back in Mumbai. It is a particular honour to be here again at the Confederation of Indian Industry, an organization steeped in history but focused on the future, an organization that represents the best of Indian business. Canadians know that when we are in India, we are among friends. I do not think it is a contradiction to say that today’s warm welcome is appreciated because it is not unusual. Canada is immensely proud of its relationship with India — proud to call itself a close friend and ally. As I’ve said before and am seeing first-hand again, we have strong peopleto-people ties, and we’re focused on building an even stronger and more prosperous relationship between our countries. Accelerating Economic Growth through Innovation, Transformation, Inclusion and Governance is a powerful theme for this year’s gathering, because burgeoning growth is exactly what is happening to the India–Canada relationship. We meet at an extraordinary moment in the history of our relationship: a time of growing momentum, remarkable complementarity and enormous potential. Both our countries have demonstrated their commitment to strengthening this vital relationship. Since 2008, Indian Ministers have visited Canada 10 times. In turn, Canadian Ministers, myself included, have visited India 13 times, and I’m delighted to be here in the midst of cold Canadian winter, although not for that reason. Still, last week in Toronto, it fell to minus 18 degrees Celsius, about minus 35 with the wind chill factor. My friends, that’s cold. In spite of climate differences, history has made us friends and allies, and commerce is increasingly making us partners. And it is to advance that economic relationship, particularly in energy, that brings me to India.
Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce India Mission 2014 Report
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