Day, Canada's minster for international trade. A deal would open up the potentially massive market for nuclear materials trade between the two countries.

Canada had stopped nuclear cooperation with India after New Delhi's 1974 nuclear tests. But Ottawa has been trying to fast-track a nuclear deal with New Delhi following the passage of the U.S.-India nuclear deal and the international community clearing nuclear trade with India last A nuclear cooperation agreement with India is close to a done deal, according Stockwell September.

"We're very close to having an agreement with India related to the civilian use of nuclear energy for the purpose of helping them meet their energy needs,"Day told The Canadian Press on May 27.

His comments followed a Press Trust of India report that quoted Indian High Commissioner Shashishekhar M. Gavai as saying that officials from the two countries had exchanged the draft agreement.

Day indicated only a few items needed to be ironed out in the agreement before it could be signed, opening up what could be a huge market for Ottawa. The governmentowned Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. has already signed a memorandum of understanding with India to build next-generation nuclear reactors.

"The estimation is over the next 20 years, something like anywhere from $50 to $150 billion worth of civil nuclear energy needs are what we're looking at," Day said.