The four-day trip to India, which is regarded as a crucial attempt to restore bilateral relations and increase economic interaction between the two nations, began Friday when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney landed in Mumbai.
He will honor the victims of the terrorist assault in Mumbai on November 26, 2001. Before departing for New Delhi on March 1, he has appointments with prominent business leaders in Mumbai, the financial hub of India.
On March 2, Carney will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Canadian Prime Minister, who will speak at the India-Canada CEO Forum in the nation’s capital before departing for Canada, will also be contacted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
A Ministry of External Affairs spokeswoman emphasized that the alliance is based on strong people to people contacts, extending cooperation across sectors, and shared democratic ideals, saying the visit is a critical step in further developing India-Canada ties.
The trip takes place at a delicate time for Ottawa. Carney has promised to expand trade alliances and find new markets for Canadian commodities as ties between the US and Canada are strained.
With 1.4 billion people and one of the fastest growing economies in the world, India is viewed as a potentially important market for Canada’s natural gas, petroleum, and other resources.
Following claims made by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the Indian government was connected to the murder of a Canadian citizen involved in Sikh separatist activities, bilateral relations have become tense in recent years. India has vehemently refuted the allegations.
Carney has no plans to travel to Punjab, which has long been a major hub for Indian immigration to Canada. Recalibrating diplomatic channels and restoring economic confidence between the two democracies are the main priorities this time, according to observers.
On February 27, Mark Carney will start his trip in Mumbai, where he will interact with a variety of Indian and Canadian stakeholders for two days.
Before he moves on to the diplomatic portion of the trip, he will meet with CEOs, financial and industry experts, innovators, educators, and representatives of Canadian pension funds headquartered in India to set the economic tone for the mission.
For the crucial portion of the journey, Carney will depart for New Delhi on March 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have delegation level discussions at Hyderabad House on March 2.
In addition to discussing bilateral matters, the two leaders are anticipated to attend the India-Canada CEOs Forum together and share opinions on regional and international events in an effort to better match public policy with the expansion of the private sector.
The visit represents a significant turning point in the continuous endeavor to restore relations following a period of intense tension. After Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in Canada in June 2023, relations fell apart.
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A protracted stalemate between the two nations resulted from the subsequent accusations of Indian complicity made by the government of then prime minister Justin Trudeau, which New Delhi vehemently rejected. This led to the expulsion of ambassadors from each other.
