Canada ministers step up outreach to boost ties

New Delhi: Canada is fast-tracking efforts to strengthen ties with India and sign a free trade agreement (FTA) in December during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to Ottawa, as part of a strategic shift to reduce trade reliance on the United States. Canada's foreign and trade ministers visited India simultaneously this week, with foreign minister Anita Anand holding meetings with PM Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday.

Modi, during his meeting with Anand, emphasised the importance of sustaining the momentum in bilateral engagement and translating it into tangible outcomes, including through the early conclusion of negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement.

Jaishankar and Anand held detailed discussions on enhancing security and defence cooperation, as well as expanding energy cooperation, according to an external affairs ministry readout.

The ministers also discussed opportunities to deepen the bilateral economic partnership, expand trade and advance collaboration in education, science and technology, people-to-people ties and multilateral forums.

Meanwhile, Canada's international trade minister Maninder Sidhu is leading a 300-member trade delegation to India. This is the largest trade delegation Canada has sent to India in more than 30 years.

The trade mission includes businesses from Canada's aerospace and space, clean technologies and energy transition, information and communication technologies, life sciences and agri-food sectors.

Sidhu met with commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal this week on the margins of the Team Canada Trade Mission.