Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-nation tour of France, Germany and Canada starting April 9 is likely to be less about international politics and more about economics.
In Canada though his visit will have a heavy dose of Punjabi politics. At Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s request, Modi revised his original itinerary that only had the capital Ottawa and Toronto, and added Vancouver to it.
Vancouver is politically important for Harper’s Conservative Party, for it is here that Indians have migrated in large numbers and prospered in recent decades. Harper and Modi will attend a joint event in the city.
It will be a unique ‘Naav Pe Charcha’ (chat on boat) when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande have a cruise on Friday on La Seine river that flows through Paris.
The two leaders will have the boat ride after their detailed discussions which will focus on cooperation in the areas of civil nuclear energy, defence, space and trade.
