New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Friday that dates for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to Canada in December had not been finalised, despite the Indian High Commission in Ottawa announcing 11 and 12 December as the dates.
“Canadian Foreign Minister [Anita Anand] was in New Delhi a few days earlier. She met with External Affairs Minister [S. Jaishankar]. The two discussed the bilateral relationship, during which the Prime Minister’s visit to Canada came up. We are still finalising the dates,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at the ministry’s regular bi-weekly press briefing.
#WATCH | Delhi: On PM Modi's visit to Canada, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "We had the Foreign Minister of Canada in Delhi. She visited a few days back. She had she met the External Affairs Minister. They had a bilateral conversation. She also called on the Prime… pic.twitter.com/Mf82wCDdam
— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2026
His comments came hours after the Indian High Commission in Canada announced on X that Modi would visit the country on 11 and 12 December.
“Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi will visit Canada on 11–12 December 2026. In the recent conversation with Rt. Hon. PM Mark Carney, both the leaders agreed to build on the positive momentum in ties and work towards concrete outcomes in trade, energy, technology, security and people-to-people ties,” the High Commission said.
Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi will visit Canada on 11–12 December 2026.
In the recent conversation with Rt. Hon. PM Mark Carney, both the leaders agreed to build on the positive momentum in ties and work towards concrete outcomes in trade, energy, technology, security and… https://t.co/zzZM3iKJ9J
— India in Canada (@HCI_Ottawa) October 15, 2026
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had also said on Thursday that Modi was expected to visit Toronto and Ottawa on those dates. Speaking at a local restaurant in Calgary, Alberta, Carney referred to the planned visit after speaking with Modi earlier in the week.
Canadian ministers Anita Anand and Maninder Sidhu also visited New Delhi during the week. Sidhu, who oversees international trade, led a large Canadian business delegation to India as the two countries worked to recalibrate bilateral ties.
It is unusual for India to announce a bilateral visit almost two months in advance. Modi is also expected to visit the US for the G20 Leaders’ Summit, scheduled to be held in Miami on 14 and 15 December. Sources said that if the Prime Minister confirms his US visit, the Canada trip could take place either before or after the summit.
A visit to Canada would be Modi’s first standalone bilateral visit to the country in more than a decade. His last such visit was in April 2015, when the two countries elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership. Ties, however, deteriorated over the following decade, particularly between 2023 and 2025.
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Journey of India-Canada ties
In September 2023, then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of being linked to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an Indian-designated terrorist who was killed outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June that year.
The allegations triggered a sharp deterioration in relations. India rejected Trudeau’s claims and expelled several Canadian diplomats, while withdrawing six of its own. Canada has not, to date, shared information establishing a link between Indian officials and the killing.
Relations began to improve after Carney took over as leader of the Liberal Party in March 2025 and led it to victory in the April election. The former central banker moved to reset ties with India as Canada’s relationship with its largest trading partner, the US, came under strain.
US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House had ushered in a trade conflict between Washington and Ottawa. With the US accounting for more than 70 percent of Canada’s exports in 2024, Carney has sought to diversify the country’s export markets, including by deepening trade ties with India.
Carney visited New Delhi in March this year, and the two countries subsequently opened negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The next round of talks is expected in early November, as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to conclude the agreement before any potential visit by Modi to Canada.
(Edited by Chingkheinganbi Mayengbam)
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