Indian PM inks uranium deal in Canada visit

India's Prime Minister Narenda Modi sealed a deal with Canada on Wednesday for the purchase of Canadian uranium as he began the first bilateral visit by an Indian leader in 42 years.

Modi, who has received enthusiastic receptions in world stadiums like New York's Madison Square Garden and Sydney's Olympic Park, was to attend a similar event later Wednesday at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto.

Standing next to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at a press conference, Modi said Canada's agreement to sell hundreds of millions of dollars worth of uranium to India "is a mark of Canada's trust and confidence" in India, according to the Tornoto Sun newspaper.

Harper emphasized the close cooperation between Canada and India on security issues, saying the two countries would further "deepen" its cooperation between security agencies.

"I think all governments of the world have a shared interest in pooling resources and actions toward eradicating the threat of terrorism," Harper said, according to a video of his remarks.

Harper also made an unexpected announcement that he and Modi had agreed to work for a quick resolution of Canada-India free trade talks, bogged down since 2010. The deal could be completed by September, Harper said.