New Delhi: Security and defence cooperation, and expansion of energy partnership were among key issues discussed in detail between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand in New Delhi Wednesday.
The focus on strategic areas of discussions signals a shift in India-Canada ties over the last year as both governments look to deepen the bilateral relationship, which has, in the recent past, faced a number of challenges.
”During the meeting, the two Ministers reviewed ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and advance cooperation across key areas of the India-Canada Strategic Partnership. They had detailed exchange of views on enhancing security and defence cooperation, as well as expanding energy cooperation,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in its readout.
“The Ministers underscored the importance of sustaining the momentum in high-level engagement between the two countries and translating it into tangible outcomes. They also appreciated the progress towards an early conclusion of negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).”
The talks between Jaishankar and Anand followed a separate meeting between the two trade ministers Piyush Goyal and Maninder Sidhu Tuesday, and a call between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Mark Carney.
India and Canada are looking to deepen the overall nature of the relationship as Ottawa continues to diversify from its dependence on the US.
Over 70 percent of Canada’s exports in 2024 was directed to the US. The relationship between the two North American neighbours have hit a number of bumps in the last year, with Ottawa and Washington currently in the midst of a trade war.
Minister Anand highlighted the importance that Canada places on India as a valuable partner, particularly at a time of geopolitical uncertainty, the Canadian readout said of Wednesday’s meeting.
“They reviewed progress made since the launch of the joint roadmap during Minister Anand’s first visit to India a year ago and discussed ways to further advance roadmap priorities, including trade, energy, people-to-people ties and security and defence cooperation. The ministers discussed other geopolitical issues, including the Middle East conflict and the unjustified war in Ukraine,” it added.
The efforts to boost ties have gathered pace in the last 10 months. Canadian PM Carney made a five-day visit to India in March. Modi is expected to travel to Canada in December. The two countries are aiming to complete negotiations for the free trade agreement by then.
The relationship between India and Canada had cratered in September 2023, when former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had accused Indian officials of being linked to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an India-designated terrorist and Sikh separatist leader. Nijjar was killed outside a gurdwara in British Columbia in June 2023.
India rejected the allegations, and the two countries expelled diplomats through the course of 2024, as ties remained turbulent. The ascendancy of Carney to the post of prime minister and the return of President Donald J. Trump to the White House shifted the course of the relationship.
Carney moved quickly after leading the Liberal Party to electoral victory in April 2025 and invited Modi to attend the G7 summit in June. The two PMs set out steps for normalisation in ties, including the simultaneous appointment of High Commissioners.
The issue of Nijjar’s killing and India’s concerns over the space given to Sikh extremists in Canada continue to be irritants, but the two governments established a bilateral security dialogue, spearheaded by the National Security Advisers to discuss these issues. The third such dialogue was hosted in New Delhi earlier this month, a fact that was mentioned during the Modi-Carney call Tuesday evening, and during Jaishankar’s meeting with Anand.
Ottawa has been looking to strengthen its partnership with the European Union as well, as it seeks larger markets for its goods. India remains keen to diversify its energy sources, which remains an important sector for future cooperation with Canada.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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New Delhi must make it absolutely clear that Canada has to deport Khalistani terrorists at the earliest. And crack down on Khalistani terror networks and drugs/guns/human trafficking syndicates immediately.
Any kind of dilly-dallying on Canada’s part will be construed as an attempt to support and aid Khalistani terrorism.
Jaishankar and Doval make a formidable team – together they must make sure that Canada understands India’s boundaries and never crosses red lines ever again.