Bangalore, India -
Premier Jean Charest says Quebec will look at speeding up the entry into Quebec of foreign workers in the information technology sector.
Charest said Thursday Quebec would aim to align its visa treatment procedures with those of the federal government.
The premier raised the possibility during a visit to Infosys, an Indian multinational high-tech company.
He heard from a company representative who complained it took 12 weeks to get clearance for specialized employees going to Quebec, while those headed to other parts of Canada were able to arrive after a month.
Charest says he wants to resolve the problem, noting Infosys has said it wants to invest in Quebec.
"If Infosys thinks there is something that can help it invest in Quebec, then that's something we can do," Charest said at a news conference.
During his trade mission to India, Charest has raised the shortage of workers in Quebec due to an aging population.
As well as visiting Infosys, Charest stopped by a CAE installation. The Canadian company has a training facility in Bangalore for pilots.
Charest headed to Delhi for a dinner with five Indian government officials following the cancellation of a meeting Wednesday with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
On Friday and Saturday, Charest will participate in the 10th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, an environmental conference organized by the Energy and Research Institute.
The Institute's director-general, Rajendra K. Pachauri, is also president of a group of experts on the evolution of climate change.
He wrote in an article published Thursday in the Times of India that the climate change conference in Copenhagen in December underscored the need to examine the effects of climate change on worldwide economic development.
Charest will speak at the opening of the conference, which attracts politicians, specialists and business leaders interested in sustainable development and climate change.
Former U.S. president Bill Clinton, former U.S. vice-president Al Gore and California Gov. Arnold Schwart-zenegger will appear via videoconference.
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