Mumbai, October 14
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand on Tuesday reiterated Canada's commitment to elevating its partnership with India, highlighting public safety at home and bolstering economic relations as top priorities.
She emphasised that while domestic public security remains a key focus for the Canadian government, it is also actively working to expand economic engagement with India across a wide range of sectors, including artificial intelligence (AI), energy, agriculture, and climate sustainability.
"I am so happy to be here in India... The main message that Canada is bringing to India is that we are here to elevate the relationship with India," Anand said.
"We have a focus on domestic public security in Canada and at the same time, we are working to strengthen the economic relationship with India across various sectors, which include AI, energy, agriculture and agro-food, climate and environmental sustainability, as well as people-to-people and business-to-business ties," she added.
The Canadian Foreign Minister is currently on a three-day official visit to India, during which she will have engagements with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal. She is now in Mumbai to participate in an event, as per a release by the Ministry of External Affairs.
Anand also noted that the two areas-public safety and economic cooperation-form the core of Canada's approach to its evolving relationship with India.
"This is a comprehensive final statement that we released yesterday, and we look forward to working with India in the next iterations of the Canada-India relationship. But as I said, there are two main priorities - public safety at home and economic relationships," she added.
Anand's remarks follow the release of a joint statement on Monday after she met with her Indian counterpart, Jaishankar, to unveil a "New Roadmap for India-Canada Relations".
The roadmap, rooted in mutual respect for democratic values, the rule of law, and sovereignty, aims to strengthen ties.
The roadmap was also aimed at reinvigorating strategic partnerships across trade, technology, energy, climate action, and people-to-people exchanges.
According to the joint statement, the meeting between the two leaders builds on guidance provided by the two Prime Ministers during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, where they committed to taking calibrated measures to restore stability and pursue a constructive partnership.
Under the newly agreed Roadmap, India and Canada commit to revitalising trade and investment ties. Among the first steps will be ministerial-level discussions and the resumption of the Canada-India CEO Forum, with a focus on sectors such as clean technology, infrastructure, agri-food, and digital innovation.
The two countries will be collaborating on renewable energy, decarbonisation of heavy industries, plastic pollution reduction, chemicals management, and sustainable consumption, with India and Canada also intending to relaunch the Canada-India Ministerial Energy Dialogue (CIMED) and promote two-way trade and investment in cleaner fuels, grid modernisation, and clean technologies, including green hydrogen and carbon capture.
Recognising that institutional capacity is key, Indian and Canadian High Commissions and consulates will be strengthened with expertise in economic, political, defence, and technological domains to help implement this ambitious agenda. Beyond bilateral initiatives, the Ministers affirmed their shared resolve to engage more actively in addressing global challenges and supporting inclusive, reformed multilateral institutions.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Hope this partnership brings real benefits to common people. The focus on agriculture and climate sustainability is much needed. Let's see if this translates into better market access for Indian farmers and technology transfer.
As a Canadian business owner working with Indian partners, this renewed focus is encouraging. The CEO Forum resumption and clean tech collaboration could open new avenues. However, I hope both sides address the visa processing delays that affect business travel.
Good to see mutual respect and sovereignty being emphasized. India should ensure any partnership benefits our national interests first. The green hydrogen and carbon capture technologies could help our energy security goals.
The people-to-people ties are the real strength of this relationship. With so many Indian students and professionals in Canada, strengthening institutional capacity in High Commissions will make a big difference in consular services.
While the roadmap sounds promising, I hope Canada demonstrates consistent commitment to the relationship. Past experiences show that domestic political considerations sometimes overshadow long-term strategic partnerships. Let's hope this time it's different.
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