India and Canada Strengthen Ties
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York as India and Canada look to strengthen their bilateral relationship.
Jaishankar described the meeting as productive and said both countries were preparing to take their relationship to a higher level. The talks came as New Delhi and Ottawa continue efforts to expand cooperation across several important areas.
The discussions are part of a broader effort to deepen cooperation in trade, energy, technology, security, education, mobility, innovation and defence. Canada said the two ministers welcomed progress in implementing the bilateral roadmap, which sets out common objectives in several of these areas.
Trade remains a major focus of the renewed engagement. India and Canada are working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides aiming to conclude negotiations by the end of 2026. The two countries have set an ambition of increasing bilateral trade to 70 billion Canadian dollars annually by 2030.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Canada around December. The possible visit could provide another opportunity for the two countries to discuss the trade agreement and broader bilateral cooperation.
The proposed visit may also coincide with the G20 Summit, which the United States is scheduled to host in Florida in December. The summit could provide an additional platform for discussions involving India and Canada.
India and Canada have also been working to expand cooperation in areas beyond trade. These include energy, critical minerals, technology, defence, security and people-to-people links. The two governments have indicated that stronger economic and strategic engagement will be important to the future of the relationship.
Canada has separately highlighted India as an important partner as Ottawa seeks to strengthen economic ties with major economies. Foreign Minister Anita Anand said Canada was looking at renewed partnerships with countries including India and China while also working on wider international cooperation.
The latest meeting between Jaishankar and Anand reflects continued diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Ottawa. With trade negotiations underway and a possible visit by Prime Minister Modi later this year, both countries are looking to build on recent progress and expand cooperation across multiple sectors.