India, Canada firm up ambitious roadmap to expand ties; resolve to respect each other's 'sensitivities'

New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) India and Canada on Monday unveiled an ambitious roadmap to boost cooperation in areas of trade, critical minerals and energy as Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as part of efforts to rebuild ties that came under severe strain following the killing of a Sikh separatist in 2023.

In their meeting, Jaishankar and Anand agreed to commence ministerial-level discussions on bilateral trade and investment at an early date considering the global economic realities and each other's "strategic priorities".

It is learnt that the Indian side also flagged its concerns over activities of certain pro-Khalistan elements in Canada.

The two sides will pursue a "constructive and balanced" partnership grounded in respect for each other's "concerns and sensitivities", strong people-to-people ties, and growing economic complementarities, a joint statement said.

The talks between the two foreign ministers came nearly four months after PM Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney held talks in June on the margins of the G7 summit at Kananaskis in Canada.

"In keeping with the priorities that the prime ministers of India and Canada had set out for bringing momentum to the relationship, both sides, based on mutual respect for shared democratic values, the rule of law, and a commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, reached consensus on a New Roadmap," the statement said.

Anand met PM Modi ahead of her talks with Jaishankar.

In a social media post, Modi said he and Anand discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in trade, technology, energy, agriculture and people-to-people exchanges for "mutual growth and prosperity".

Modi conveyed to Anand that her visit to India would contribute to ongoing efforts to impart "new momentum" to the bilateral partnership, an official readout said.

The prime minister recalled his visit to Canada in June when he held an "extremely productive" meeting with Carney, it said.

Modi conveyed his warm wishes to PM Carney and said that he looked forward to their upcoming engagements, it added.

In his opening remarks at the meeting with Anand, Jaishankar said India-Canada relations have been steadily "progressing" in the last few months and that both sides working to "restore and reinvigorate" the mechanisms necessary to advance the partnership.

"When we look at Canada, we see a complementary economy, we see another open society, we see diversity and pluralism, and we believe that that is the basis for a close, sustainable and long-term cooperative framework," he said.

The external affairs minister said an ambitious roadmap has been firmed up to advance India-Canada cooperation in various domains, including trade, investment, agriculture, science and technology, civil nuclear collaboration, AI, critical minerals, and energy.

"Our responsibility as foreign ministers is to shepherd the process of rebuilding our cooperation and to ensure that it delivers on the expectation of our prime ministers and the interests of our people," he said.

"It means not only taking initiatives in our particular jurisdiction but to monitor and integrate interactions across the entire breadth of the government," he added.

Anand said on social media that both sides are pursuing a "constructive and balanced" partnership grounded in ongoing law enforcement dialogue and growing economic partnership opportunities including in the areas of energy, trade and artificial intelligence.

The joint statement said Jaishankar and Anand recognised that in the context of ongoing global economic uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions, a strong and resilient India-Canada relationship is essential.

"Reviving this partnership will not only create opportunities for enhanced economic cooperation but also help mitigate vulnerabilities arising from shifting global alliances, ensure more reliable supply chains, and reinforce strategic stability in an increasingly complex international environment," it said.

It said both sides welcomed and appreciated ongoing discussions in civil nuclear cooperation in support of clean energy transitions.

Anand and Jaishankar also welcomed discussions between India's Department of Atomic Energy and Canadian uranium suppliers, from the standpoint of existing and proposed new mines, the statement noted.

It said the economic cooperation will include ministerial-level discussions on bilateral trade and investment, and the resumption of the Canada-India CEO Forum to identify ways to facilitate increased trade and investment.

Anand landed in New Delhi on Saturday as part of her three-nation trip including to China and Singapore.

The India-Canada relations hit rock bottom following then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in 2023 of a potential Indian link to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India had dismissed Trudeau's accusation as "absurd".

In October last year, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case.

India also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats.

However, Liberal Party leader Carney's victory in the parliamentary election in April helped in beginning the process to reset relations.

Both sides have already posted their high commissioners in each other's capitals.

The two countries also agreed to revive several mechanisms to advance relations in a range of areas. PTI MPB KVK KVK