At the G7 Summit held in Kananaskis, Alberta, India and Canada agreed to resume full diplomatic ties, bringing an end to the icy relations triggered by Canadian allegations that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen designated as a terrorist by India, outside a gurdwara in Canada in 2023.
This was the first in-person interaction between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, since Carney assumed office following Canada’s recent general elections. The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to hold “frank and forward-looking discussions” on the state of India-Canada relations and the way ahead, noted a press release from the Indian government.
The leaders reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties, based on shared democratic values, respect for the rule of law. and commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. They underlined the need to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for concerns and sensitivities, strong people-to-people ties, and growing economic complementarities. In this regard, “both sides agreed to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, beginning with the early return of High Commissioners to each other’s capitals,” the press release said.
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Carney and Modi underscored the importance of restarting senior ministerial as well as working-level engagements across various domains to rebuild trust and bring momentum to the relationship.
They discussed opportunities for future collaboration in areas such as clean energy, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, LNG, food security, critical minerals, higher education, mobility, and supply chain resilience.
They also reaffirmed their shared interest in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific. The leaders also discussed the importance of restarting the stalled negotiations on the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), with a view to paving the way for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). They agreed to task their respective officials to engage further in this regard, the press release said.
Both leaders acknowledged the important progress made at the G7 Summit and the shared willingness to work constructively together on global priorities such as climate action, inclusive growth, and sustainable development. They also recognized the deep people-to-people connections between the two countries and agreed to leverage this to the benefit of both countries. They dwelt on the strong and historic ties between their peoples, partnerships in the IndoPacific, and significant commercial links between Canada and India — including partnerships in economic growth, supply chains, and the energy transformation.
Prime Minister Carney also raised priorities on the G7 agenda, including transnational
crime and repression, security, and the rules-based order.
The discussions took place even as India-Canada ties remain strained due to ongoing
political tensions. India has repeatedly voiced concern over extremism and anti-India activities in Canada, urging Canadian authorities to act against such elements.
The meeting between Carney and Modi could jumpstart a return to normalization of bilateral relations.
Modi also met with each of the G7 leaders at the Summit, well as the invited guest countries like Brazil and South Africa, and leaders of the European Commission and the European Council.