India, Canada discuss boosting maritime cooperation, defence ties
Ottawa, July 28
India and Canada have agreed to enhance defence cooperation, with discussions focusing on maritime collaboration, defence capacity-building and training during a meeting between India's High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh K. Patnaik, and Canadian Minister of National Defence David McGuinty, the Indian High Commission said on Tuesday.
Discussions focused on strengthening maritime cooperation, advancing defence capacity-building and training, and deepening India-Canada defence ties.
The two sides also reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting peace, stability and stronger bilateral engagement, according to the Indian High Commission in Canada.
The meeting follows External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's recent engagement with his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, in Manila last week.
Stressing that the cooperation between India and Canada has been growing, EAM Jaishankar said that his talks with Anita Anand focused on achieving the goals for the relationship set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian PM Mark Carney.
"Appreciate the discussion with Canada FM Anita Anand this afternoon. India-Canada cooperation has been steadily growing. Our conversation focused on achieving the goals for the relationship set by our Prime Ministers," EAM Jaishankar posted on X.
Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, reviewed the full range of relations between India and Canada during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ongoing G7 Summit in Evian, France.
"It was a delight to meet Prime Minister Carney on the sidelines of the Evian G7 Summit. In less than a year, it is our fourth meeting, indicating our commitment to strong India-Canada ties. We reviewed the full range of relations between our nations, notably the ground covered since we last met," PM Modi wrote on X.
"We discussed extensive cooperation in the following pillars: Trade and economy. Energy. Technology. People-to-people ties," he added.
Ties between India and Canada are underlined by shared democratic values, a steadfast commitment to the rule of law, and vibrant people-to-people ties. The two nations have official-level dialogue mechanisms such as ministerial-level Strategic, Trade and Energy dialogues; Foreign Office Consultations; Joint Committee Meeting on Environment and other sector-specific joint working groups (JWGs).
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some positive news! The G7 meeting between PM Modi and PM Carney seems to have set the right tone. But I hope Canada also addresses the Khalistani extremism issue on their soil - that's the elephant in the room for many Indians.
As someone with family in both countries, this is welcome development. The people-to-people ties are already strong with over a million Indians in Canada. Trade and energy cooperation can really benefit both nations. Let's hope the momentum continues.
Defence cooperation is good, but let's be honest - Canada's defence budget and military capabilities are quite limited compared to India's needs. Maybe more emphasis on technology transfer and joint research would be more beneficial for us.
This is promising! India and Canada have so much untapped potential - from critical minerals to clean energy. The shared democratic values should make cooperation easier. Just hope both sides can move past the political noise and focus on substance.
Arre, finally some pragmatism! Both countries have been missing out because of political posturing. The student and diaspora ties are too strong to ignore. Maybe this time both sides will focus on what actually matters - trade, technology and talent. 🤞
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.