India and Canada have signaled their intent to sustain the improving trajectory of bilateral ties, emphasizing continued engagement and cooperation following recent diplomatic exchanges.
This was highlighted during a meeting in Ottawa on Friday between India’s High Commissioner Dinesh Patnaik and Canada’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Arun Thangaraj.
Thangaraj, who recently assumed office as the top official in Global Affairs Canada, took over from David Morrison, who has moved into a senior advisory role to the Prime Minister. His position is comparable to that of India’s Foreign Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
According to a statement issued after the meeting, the two sides reviewed the entire scope of India-Canada relations and discussed progress on key initiatives that followed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent visit to India. These include efforts to expand economic cooperation, strengthen people-to-people connections, and enhance collaboration in priority sectors. Both sides agreed to build on the current momentum and maintain close contact going forward.
Carney’s visit to India featured a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which the two countries agreed to begin negotiations for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. Talks on this agreement are currently underway, with both sides aiming to conclude them by the end of the year.
Economic ties are expected to gain further traction with the planned visit of India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to Canada next month. He is expected to be accompanied by a large business delegation.
Relations between the two countries had sharply deteriorated in September 2023 after then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons that there were credible allegations linking Indian agents to the killing of pro Khalistan figure Hardeep Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. India strongly rejected the claims, calling them unfounded and politically motivated.
The relationship began to stabilise after Mark Carney took office as Prime Minister in March 2025. He later invited Narendra Modi to the G7 Leaders Summit in Kananaskis and also met him on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, before his subsequent visit to India earlier this year.
