Mumbai: Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, will pay an official visit to India from February 27 to March 2 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Thursday (Feb 26). This marks Prime Minister Carney’s first official visit to India since assuming office.
Over the ensuing two days, Carney will engage in separate business interactions with Indian and Canadian CEOs, industry and financial experts, innovators, educators, and representatives of Canadian pension funds based in India.
Ahead of his visit, the authorities in Ottawa seemed to be walking back on their allegations of Indian interference and transnational repression on Canadian soil. Before Carney’s departure, senior government officials told the media that the Canadian PM would probably not be travelling to India if the government believed India was actively interfering in the Canadian democratic process, reported NDTV.
“We have a mature, robust discussion with the Government of India on these issues, and we have robust safeguards in place to avoid foreign interference,” CTV reported, quoting an official.
According to the report, the officials did not elaborate when Ottawa decided to change its stand. But they said there had been a “systematic engagement” with PM Modi in India, including at the senior officials’ level, ministerial level, and leader level.
“These issues have been raised regularly, and we are confident that we have the basis for further productive discussion,” a government official said, according to the NDTV report.
Discussions will encompass cooperation across key pillars such as:
Trade and investment
Energy
Critical minerals
Agriculture
Education, research, and innovation
People-to-people ties
Indian External Affairs Ministry
They will also exchange views on regional and global developments during their talks.
Indian External Affairs Ministry
India–Canada CEOs Forum & Strategic Context
Following the bilateral discussions, both Prime Ministers will participate in the India–Canada CEOs Forum later on March 2.
The visit is taking place at a pivotal moment in the normalization of India–Canada bilateral relations, with both sides committed to pursuing a “constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect, strong people-to-people ties, and economic complementarities,” according to the MEA.
