Ottawa, Oct 12: Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand will travel to India this week for talks with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on trade, energy, security and defence cooperation, as Ottawa seeks to strengthen its growing diplomatic and economic partnership with New Delhi.
Anand will visit India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from October 13 to 16, Global Affairs Canada announced on Monday. The visit comes amid renewed high-level engagement between the two countries, whose bilateral trade reached $30.4 billion in 2025, including $11 billion in goods.
During her visit to India, Anand will meet EAM Jaishankar to advance cooperation on priorities identified in the bilateral roadmap, including trade, energy, people-to-people ties and security and defence. The meeting will be the 11th between the two foreign ministers since September 2025, reflecting the frequency of diplomatic contacts between Ottawa and New Delhi. The Canadian government described the continuing engagement as part of a growing bilateral relationship.
The planned discussions cover areas that both countries have identified as priorities for expanding their economic and strategic partnership. In New Delhi, Anand will also participate in the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, joining a panel discussion on middle powers and the changing global order.
According to Global Affairs Canada, she will emphasise the importance of multilateral and plurilateral cooperation at a time of geopolitical uncertainty. The minister will also highlight Canada’s role as a reliable partner for India and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
The visit comes as Canada seeks to deepen engagement with major international partners amid changing global economic and security conditions. The Canadian announcement places trade, energy and defence cooperation alongside diplomatic engagement, indicating the range of issues expected to feature in Anand’s discussions with Jaishankar.
The two countries have maintained nearly 80 years of diplomatic relations and share extensive people-to-people connections. Their economic relationship includes trade in goods and services, with bilateral exchanges reaching $30.4 billion last year, according to figures released by the Canadian government.
The latest diplomatic engagement follows a period of renewed contact between the two governments. Following her engagements in India, Anand will travel to the United Arab Emirates for talks with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The discussions will focus on strengthening bilateral relations and advancing economic cooperation, security and shared prosperity. Anand will also meet senior government officials and business leaders to explore opportunities for expanding commercial partnerships.
The Canadian government identified defence and security, artificial intelligence, innovation and people-to-people ties as key areas for cooperation with the UAE. The visit will build on commitments made during Carney’s November 2025 visit to the UAE, the first by a Canadian prime minister in more than four decades.
That visit established a roadmap for closer cooperation in trade, investment, regional security and exchanges between the two countries. Canada has described its relationship with the UAE as one of its fastest-growing partnerships in the Middle East, built on more than 50 years of diplomatic ties.
IANS