New Delhi, Oct 13 Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a “warm and productive” conversation with his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, on Tuesday, with both leaders agreeing to build on the “positive momentum” in bilateral ties.
In a post on X, Modi said that together, India and Canada are contributing towards a “more stable and prosperous world.”
“Had a warm and productive conversation with Prime Minister Mark Carney. We agreed to build on the positive momentum in India-Canada ties and work towards concrete outcomes across key areas of our Strategic Partnership, including trade, energy, technology, security and people-to-people ties,” he said.
A statement from Carney’s office said that the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to conclude negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) at the earliest opportunity, supporting efforts to double two-way trade by 2030.
“They welcomed the historic Team Canada Trade Mission currently taking place in India, led by the Minister of International Trade, Maninder Sidhu, as well as a visit to New Delhi this week by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand, to advance shared priorities, including trade, energy, and people-to-people ties,” the Canadian PMO said.
It said the two leaders also discussed the impacts of geopolitical instability for the Indo-Pacific region and the need for trusted partners in energy and agriculture.
Carney also thanked Modi for his leadership in seeking a peaceful resolution to Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The prime ministers welcomed the bilateral security dialogue in India last week held at the National Security Advisor level.
The two leaders agreed to remain in close contact ahead of Modi’s visit to Canada in December.
The telephonic conversation between the two leaders comes days after David Morrison, the Senior Diplomatic and International Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada, visited India.
During his October 5-7 visit to the country, Morrison held talks with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in Delhi on October 6, discussing ways to battle terrorism and other crimes.
“They agreed to deepen coordination and cooperation in combating transnational organised crime, terrorism and violent extremism, human and drug trafficking, cybercrime, extortion, and extradition of criminal offenders. They also reaffirmed their commitment to identifying additional areas for practical cooperation, including exploring the establishment of structured dialogues on cyber security and economic security,” a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement, issued on October 7, read.
The meeting in Delhi was held as part of the bilateral security dialogue.
The previous dialogues in this format took place in the national capital in September 2025 and in Ottawa in February 2026.
During the meeting, the two sides reviewed progress in bilateral security and law enforcement cooperation, including the implementation of the shared Security Work Plan that was concluded in February 2026.
“They also noted with satisfaction the sustained and constructive bilateral engagements over the past year, guided by mutual trust, respect for each other’s concerns and sensitivities, and a shared commitment to strengthening bilateral relations,” the statement said.
Doval and Morrison welcomed efforts to advance negotiations for CEPA.
They also discussed a “growing potential” to advance a substantive bilateral defence relationship.
India-Canada relations came under severe strain in 2023, following then prime minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of a potential Indian link to the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India then dismissed Trudeau’s accusation as “absurd”. In October 2024, India recalled its high commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case.
New Delhi also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats.
Liberal Party leader Carney’s victory in the parliamentary election in April last year helped rebuild relations.
Both sides have now posted high commissioners in each other’s capitals.
Relations between the countries have witnessed a major upswing since Canadian Prime Minister Carney’s visit to India in March.
(PTI News)
