Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Canada on December 11 and 12, the High Commission of India in Ottawa announced on Friday, setting up a high-profile trip that would cap a year of cautious diplomatic repair between the two countries.
The announcement followed a telephone conversation between Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this week, which Modi described as warm and productive. According to the High Commission's statement, the two leaders agreed to build on the positive momentum in bilateral relations and work toward concrete outcomes in trade, energy, technology, security and people-to-people ties.
Trade deal tops the agenda
The visit is expected to give fresh impetus to negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides reiterating their commitment to conclude talks at the earliest opportunity. The agreement is aimed at supporting efforts to double two-way trade by 2030.
The timing is significant: Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand and International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu were in New Delhi this week to advance the talks, and Sidhu is leading a Team Canada trade mission to India. Both governments have welcomed what they describe as renewed engagement over the past year across finance, defence and security, and artificial intelligence.
A relationship being rebuilt
The planned visit marks how far the relationship has travelled since 2023, when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament there were "credible allegations" of Indian government agents' involvement in the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar — a claim India firmly rejected. The dispute escalated in 2024, when both countries expelled six diplomats each.
The tone has shifted markedly since Carney took office. During a visit to India last November, he described India as a reliable trading partner, and the two sides have since moved steadily toward normalising ties. A December visit by Modi would be the clearest signal yet that the reset is holding.
Sources:
- PM Modi to visit Canada on December 11-12 as countries seek to boost ties — Hindustan Times
- PM Modi to visit Canada on December 11-12, focus on strengthening bilateral ties — The Tribune
The announcement followed a telephone conversation between Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this week, which Modi described as warm and productive. According to the High Commission's statement, the two leaders agreed to build on the positive momentum in bilateral relations and work toward concrete outcomes in trade, energy, technology, security and people-to-people ties.
Trade deal tops the agenda
The visit is expected to give fresh impetus to negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides reiterating their commitment to conclude talks at the earliest opportunity. The agreement is aimed at supporting efforts to double two-way trade by 2030.
The timing is significant: Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand and International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu were in New Delhi this week to advance the talks, and Sidhu is leading a Team Canada trade mission to India. Both governments have welcomed what they describe as renewed engagement over the past year across finance, defence and security, and artificial intelligence.
A relationship being rebuilt
The planned visit marks how far the relationship has travelled since 2023, when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament there were "credible allegations" of Indian government agents' involvement in the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar — a claim India firmly rejected. The dispute escalated in 2024, when both countries expelled six diplomats each.
The tone has shifted markedly since Carney took office. During a visit to India last November, he described India as a reliable trading partner, and the two sides have since moved steadily toward normalising ties. A December visit by Modi would be the clearest signal yet that the reset is holding.
Sources:
- PM Modi to visit Canada on December 11-12 as countries seek to boost ties — Hindustan Times
- PM Modi to visit Canada on December 11-12, focus on strengthening bilateral ties — The Tribune
