India, Canada Look To Resume Trade Talks, Reappoint High Commissioners As PM Modi Meets Carney

Last Updated:June 18, 2025, 07:55 IST

PM Modi met Canadian PM Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, marking a significant thaw in diplomatic ties that were frozen after the 2023 Nijjar row.

PM Modi with Canadian PM Mark Carney (Photo: @MEAIndia)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada.

During their meeting, the leaders emphasised the depth and significance of India-Canada relations, citing mutual investments and shared democratic values as key pillars of the partnership.

Post the meet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, taking to X, shared pictures of him with Carney and wrote, “Had an excellent meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney. Complimented him and the Canadian Government for successfully hosting the G7 Summit."

“India and Canada are connected by a strong belief in democracy, freedom and rule of law," the Prime Minister wrote.

“PM Carney and I look forward to working closely to add momentum to the India-Canada friendship. Areas like trade, energy, space, clean energy, critical minerals, fertilisers and more offer immense potential in this regard," he added.

Carney, too, in an X post, mentioned, “I met with Prime Minister Modi today at the G7 Summit. We reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties, based upon mutual respect and the rule of law, and discussed opportunities to partner for economic growth."

Post their meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “India and Canada relations are very important in many ways. Many Canadian companies have investments in India. The people of India also have a huge investment in Canadian soil. Dedicated to democratic values, Canada and India will have to strengthen democracy together, and will have to strengthen humanity."

He also congratulated Carney on his recent election victory, expressing optimism about future cooperation.

“This is the first time I have had the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister after his election, so I congratulate him for his grand victory in this election and in the coming period, India and Canada will progress together in many areas with him," he added.

Responding to PM Modi’s remarks, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed him warmly and highlighted India’s growing global role and leadership in key areas of mutual concern.

“It’s a great honour to host you at the G7. It’s a testament to the importance of your country, to your leadership and to the importance of the issues that we look to tackle together, from energy security, from the energy transition that you’re helping to lead, to the future of artificial intelligence, to the fight that we have against transnational repression, against terrorism, against other factors and the work that we can do together, Carney said.

“It is my great honour to have you here," he added.

Diplomatic Reset After A Deep Freeze

In 2023, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats and consular officials after its law enforcement agencies linked Indian government agents to the murder of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia.

In retaliation, India expelled Canada’s acting high commissioner and five other diplomats. The diplomatic rift, the worst in India-Canada relations in decades, has since stalled high-level engagement.

Mark Carney, who succeeded Justin Trudeau as Canadian prime minister in April, welcomed PM Modi to the G7 by calling it “a great honour" and described India’s participation as a testament to its global relevance.

“It’s a testament to the importance of your country, to your leadership, and to the importance of the issues that we look to tackle together- from energy security and AI to the fight against transnational repression and terrorism," Mark Carney said.

G7 Flags Transnational Repression

The G7 nations, in a joint communique issued as the summit closed, expressed “deep concern" about rising instances of transnational repression- defined as acts by foreign states to intimidate or harm individuals beyond their borders. The statement explicitly condemned such behavior and pledged to develop new frameworks to detect, report and counter these activities through the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism.

News india 'Connected By Strong Belief': India, Canada Agree To Restore Ties After PM Modi-Carney Meet