‘India-Canada Ties Progressing Steadily’: Jaishankar Meets Counterpart Anita Anand In Delhi

Eam jaishakar with Anita Anand (File Photo/PTI)

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, who arrived in India on Sunday evening, met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi on Monday, as both sides reaffirmed their intent to rebuild trust and strengthen bilateral relations across multiple sectors.

Speaking at their meeting, EAM Jaishankar said, “Our meeting today continues the constructive dialogues that we have over phone calls.”

“India–Canada bilateral relations have been steadily progressing in the last two months. We are working to restore and reinvigorate the mechanisms necessary to advance our partnership,” he added.

The External Affairs Minister highlighted that recent interactions between the National Security Advisors of both countries marked “an important step in addressing our security concerns.”

“When we see Canada, we see a complementary economy, an open society, diversity, and pluralism, all of which form the basis of close cooperation,” he said.

“Both sides have made an ambitious roadmap for cooperation in various domains, including trade, investment, civil nuclear collaboration, AI, and energy,” Jaishankar said.

Emphasising shared global goals, he noted, “India and Canada have a long tradition of being active in world affairs. We are members of the G20 and the Commonwealth. Our convergence in the Indo-Pacific is notable. We are proponents of effective multilateralism, climate action, and the SDG Agenda 2030.”

“We seek to de-risk the international economy today by forging strong partnerships of growing range and depth,” Jaishankar added.

Anand, who arrived in India as part of her diplomatic visit to India, Singapore, and China, expressed appreciation for the discussions.

“‘Namaste‘, thank you so much for the warm welcome that we’ve received this morning. We are so grateful to be able to further the Canada–India relationship with you here in New Delhi today,” she said.

She also referred to the recent interaction between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Mark Carney at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis.

“Equally, Prime Minister Carney was pleased to welcome Prime Minister Modi to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, where they had a productive bilateral engagement that informs the conversation we are having here today,” Anand said.

Highlighting the agenda for the meeting, she added, “Today, we’ll be discussing the India–Canada Joint Statement, which is comprehensive and covers a number of issues that will allow us to continue the work to elevate the bilateral relationship.”

Acknowledging Jaishankar’s remarks on security, Anand said, “I appreciate the words you spoke relating to the security dialogue, which, while we elevate the relationship in areas of critical minerals, energy, AI, and climate, to name a few, will continue.”

“The meeting that our officials had relating to security and law enforcement just a few weeks ago here was very productive, and that dialogue will continue,” she said.

Anita Anand further noted that both governments “agree on the importance of elevating the relationship going further”.

“This joint statement will discuss our mutual plans for re-engagement. It will inform Canadians and Indians alike that we are collectively committed to advancing this relationship now and in the long term, particularly when it comes to our mutual priorities in the Indo-Pacific,” she said.

“‘धन्यावाद‘, thank you so much again. We look forward to the conversation,” the Canadian Foreign Minister said.

Other than EAM Jaishankar, Anita Anand, while in India, will also meet Union Minister Piyush Goyal, before she proceeds to Singapore and China, to advance bilateral relations and cooperation with these countries as part of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.

During her visit to India, the discussions will focus on advancing a framework for strategic cooperation encompassing trade diversification, energy transformation, and security issues.

In addition to Delhi, Anand will travel to Mumbai to engage with Canadian and Indian businesses fostering investment, job creation, and economic opportunities in both Canada and India, the release added.