Amid Canada trade talks, NSAs discuss security coop

NSA Ajit Doval, right, during a meeting with senior Diplomatic and International Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada, David Morrison, in New Delhi.

NEW DELHI: Amid efforts to conclude a bilateral trade agreement ahead of a likely visit by PM Narendra Modi to Ottawa in December, India and Canada held another round of security dialogue, with NSA Ajit Doval hosting his counterpart David Morrison for talks.Morrison, senior diplomatic and international affairs adviser to the PM, is visiting India in the middle of the fifth round of talks for a mutually beneficial economic partnership agreement. Canadian foreign minister Anita Anand will also visit India later this month.

“The meeting was part of the regular dialogue at the NSA level. The two sides reviewed progress in bilateral security and law enforcement cooperation. They also agreed to identify additional areas for practical cooperation,” a source said.The last round of talks in Feb saw India and Canada agreeing to a roadmap on national security issues. The two countries had also agreed to appoint security and law enforcement liaison officers to enable timely information sharing on issues of mutual concern like flow of drugs and transnational organised criminal networks.