Canada will evaluate the issue of security in the agreements ... - Yahoo Finance Spain

(Reuters) – BlackBerry smartphone maker in trouble you are looking for a buyer, you should be wary of any deal that can generate national security concerns, said Friday the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper , in an interview with Bloomberg.

Canada examine such issues in any foreign bid to buy the BlackBerry, which also requires a review under the country’s procurement law, Harper said in an interview with Bloomberg in Brussels.

BlackBerry is “a major player in the field of information technology and the advanced technology sector information and communications,” said Harper.

“So it would be very important that any transaction involving BlackBerry in the future does not cause any security concerns in that particular area of ??the economy,” he added.

Any sale of BlackBerry or any of its assets would be subject to strict regulatory reviews both in Ottawa and Washington.

Under the Investment Canada Act, the government has broad powers to veto any foreign takeover of a Canadian company active or if it considers that an agreement does not produce a “net benefit” to the country or is a security threat national.

Last week, Canada blocked an offer from an Egyptian businessman in the telecommunications sector to acquire Allstream fiber optic network of Manitoba Telecom Services, citing national security concerns unspecified.

Harper comments on the subject come just a day after news that the Chinese personal computer maker Lenovo signed a non-disclosure agreement to examine the books of BlackBerry.