Canadian Foreign Minister Says India-Canada Ties Are Starting To Flourish

 

New Delhi : Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said Canada's relations with India are beginning to "flourish" as the two countries seek to deepen economic ties amid an increasingly volatile geopolitical climate.

"Canada had work to do to ensure we had stable elevated relations with countries around the world, including India, the sixth-largest economy in the world at $4 trillion," said Anand at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum being held in New Delhi.

 

She added: "And to see this (India-Canada) bilateral relationship beginning to flourish is part of the work that we are doing to ensure that we are working with countries around the world."

Her remarks come a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on Tuesday that he had a "warm and productive" telephonic conversation with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney.

During the call, the two leaders "agreed to build on the positive momentum in India-Canada ties". They agreed to conclude negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement at the earliest opportunity, said Carney's office.

 

India and Canada have improved ties under Prime Minister Mark Carney, who came to power in early 2025. The two sies have maintained high level contact with Carney visiting India early this year. The two sides are now negotiating a trade deal to deepen economic linkages and double two-way trade to $70 billion by 2030.

Amid turbulence in ties with the US, Carney has articulated the importance of middle powers strengthening links amongst each other even as ties between Ottawa and Washington. The pace of improved ties between New Delhi and Ottawa has increased even as Canada has fallen out with the US.

But whether the two countries can protect ties from differences like the issue of Khalistan remains to be seen. Bilateral ties were impacted by the 2023 killing of Canadian Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a gurudwara in Canada. Ottawa accused Indian government officials of involvement in Nijjar's killing, which New Delhi dismissed as absurd. The dispute escalated to a near breaking point in ties. A reset has since taken place under Carney.

 

While both sides are moving past the Khalistan issue, it has long remained a strain on ties. Canada views pro-Khalistan advocacy as falling under the purview of freedom of speech. At the same time, India sees the separatist movement, particularly when members talk about violence against India, as a threat to its security.

"Khalistan is not an issue in India; it is in Canada," noted High Commissioner of India to Canada Dinesh K. Patnaik.

Still, the focus remains on trade links with International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu leading a 300-strong delegation in India.