Piyush Goyal meets Canadian Prime Minister in Ottawa; Expresses optimism towards early India-Canada CEPA conclusion
Ottawa, May 26
India and Canada fast-tracked negotiations for an early conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement during a series of high-level bilateral meetings in Ottawa, aiming to expand trade, investment, and technology linkages between the two nations.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and senior cabinet ministers to review progress on the free trade pact and map out deeper cooperation across key economic sectors, during his three-day visit to Canada.
The diplomatic engagements highlighted a mutual commitment to strengthening the bilateral partnership. During his meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister, Goyal discussed the evolving economic ties.
"Fondly recalled his recent visit to India, which has imparted fresh momentum and renewed confidence to the India-Canada partnership. We had forward-looking discussions on further deepening bilateral cooperation and expressed optimism towards the early conclusion of the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which would unlock new avenues of growth and prosperity for both nations," Goyal said on X.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also confirmed the acceleration of the trade talks, framing the proposed agreement as a "game changer for Canadian workers and businesses".
"We're negotiating a free trade deal with India. This will be a game changer for Canadian workers and businesses -- unlocking a massive new market. We're working fast -- I met Minister @PiyushGoyal to review our progress so far and explore the opportunities ahead for both our countries in energy, agri-food, tech, and education," Carney said on X.
Goyal also held detailed discussions with Canada's Minister of International Trade, Maninder Sidhu. The two leaders issued direct mandates to their respective negotiating teams to ensure the pact delivers balanced economic rewards.
"Held constructive bilateral discussions this morning in Ottawa with Canada's Minister of International Trade, Mr. Maninder Sidhu, on advancing the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations. We provided clear guidance to our teams to work towards a balanced, commercially meaningful and ambitious agreement that strengthens economic partnerships and delivers tangible benefits to businesses and citizens of both countries," Goyal said.
The commerce minister also engaged with Canada's Foreign Minister, Anita Anand, to look at broader investment avenues, where he pitched India's expanding domestic sectors as "significant opportunities for greater collaboration and investments".
"Held wide-ranging talks with Canada's Foreign Minister @AnitaAnandMP. Emphasised the importance of trade, investment & technology linkages for the India-Canada Strategic Partnership. Highlighted that India's expanding infrastructure, renewable energy, logistics, digital infrastructure, and consumer sectors, among others, offer significant opportunities for greater collaboration and investments," Goyal said.
The agricultural sector formed another critical part of the bilateral talks. In a meeting with Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Heath MacDonald, Goyal focused on areas that could directly benefit Indian farmers and producers.
"Held a meeting with Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Mr. Heath MacDonald. We discussed strengthening cooperation in agriculture, with a focus on food security, sustainability, agri-tech, and exploring opportunities for collaboration in the food processing sector, aimed at boosting the incomes of Indian farmers and producers," Goyal said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The focus on agriculture is crucial. If we can get access to Canadian agri-tech and processing expertise, it will directly benefit our farmers. But we must ensure that any deal protects Indian dairy and food security interests.
As a Canadian, I'm excited about this. Indian students and professionals contribute so much to our economy. A free trade deal will bring our countries closer. Let's just hope the political noise doesn't derail it this time.
CEPA has been in talks for over a decade. Let's see if this time there is real progress. The mention of energy collaboration is interesting - perhaps India can import Canadian LNG to diversify our sources. But we need to also push for easier visas for our professionals.
Great that both sides are talking about agri-food and tech. India's digital infrastructure is booming, and Canada has expertise in AI and clean tech. A balanced deal could create thousands of jobs on both sides. 🤞
I hope our government negotiates hard on market access for Indian services and easier visa norms. Canada's dairy sector is heavily protected - our farmers deserve a fair deal too. Let's not rush into an agreement just for the sake of optics.
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