Canada’s foreign minister Anita Anand on Wednesday emphasised India’s importance as a “valuable partner” amid geopolitical uncertainty as she met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar to strengthen ties in trade, energy and security.
Anand arrived in New Delhi shortly after India and Canada completed the fifth round of talks on a proposed comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA). The two sides have signalled their intent to conclude negotiations for the trade deal by the time Modi visits Canada in December.
Modi said on social media that he and Anand had a productive discussion on strengthening ties in trade, technology, security, energy, education and people-to-people exchanges.
“India is committed to building a constructive and forward-looking strategic partnership with Canada that delivers tangible benefits to the people of both countries,” Modi said.
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Canada calls India a ‘valuable partner’ amid geopolitical uncertainty
Jaishankar and Anand, at a separate meeting, reviewed progress in cooperation in trade, investment, education, energy, defence and security and people-to-people exchanges. They also exchanged views on key regional and global developments, including the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia, and discussed ways to advance priorities under a joint roadmap for India-Canada ties.
“Guided by our leadership and sustained engagement across government and industry, we are advancing our strategic partnership,” Jaishankar said in a social media post.
Anand “highlighted the importance that Canada places on India as a valuable partner, particularly at a time of geopolitical uncertainty”, according to a Canadian readout on the meeting between the foreign ministers.
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Anand also said Canada looks forward to welcoming Modi in December – the first official word on the PM’s planned visit. Modi is expected to club his visit to Canada with trips to Belgium, for the signing of the India-European Union free trade agreement, and the US, to attend the G20 Summit.
“Canada and India have enormous potential to shape a more prosperous future together,” Anand said on social media after meeting Modi.
“From Prime Minister [Mark] Carney’s visit earlier this year to the Team Canada Trade Mission underway, our renewed engagement reflects a growing ambition to turn shared priorities into lasting opportunities for both nations,” she said.
Anand also said the two sides have made considerable progress since they finalised the joint roadmap for India-Canada relations a year ago, from advancing trade negotiations to expanding cooperation in energy, innovation and security.
“At a time when the international order is undergoing profound change, closer engagement between Canada and India offers an opportunity to shape our future prosperity and contribute to a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Anand said.
According to the Canadian readout, Jaishankar and Anand welcomed the bilateral security dialogue between the National Security Advisers that was recently held in New Delhi, with senior officials from both sides reviewing progress in security and law enforcement cooperation. The two sides are also “committed to sustained engagement on security issues of mutual interest”, it said.
The external affairs ministry said the two ministers had a “detailed exchange of views on enhancing security and defence cooperation, as well as expanding energy cooperation”.
India and Canada have focused on rebuilding bilateral ties, which plunged to their lowest point in recent years when former PM Justin Trudeau accused Indian government agents of involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in September 2023. India dismissed the allegation as absurd and both sides resorted to a range of punitive diplomatic and other measures.
Ties have been on the rebound since Carney’s election last year, and the reset of the relationship has also been spurred by the Canadian PM’s call for “middle powers” to join hands to protect multilateralism amid the uncertainty created by the policies of the Trump administration in the US.