'New era of partnership': PM Modi meets Mark Carney as India, Canada reset bilateral ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney as New Delhi and Ottawa attempt to reset ties after a turbulent past. Carney's visit to India began on February 28, in Mumbai, with the Canadian delegation calling it a "historic" trip. The meeting is also coming amid heightened global tensions following US and Israeli strikes on Iran. However, for Delhi and Ottawa, the immediate priority is stabilising their relationship.

Bilateral ties between the two nations deteriorated sharply after former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was “credible evidence” linking Indian agents to the killing of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil - an allegation India firmly rejected.

Ahead of the joint press conference, both the prime ministers exchanged several memorandums of understanding (MoU), ranging from technology to cultural cooperation. In his opening remarks, PM Modi called Carney's first visit to India an "important milestone".

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"I am delighted to welcome Prime Minister Carney to India. This is his first visit to India as Prime Minister. We view this as an important milestone. He warmly welcomed me and my delegation at the G7 meeting in Canada last year. It is a privilege to welcome him with the same warmth today," he said.

The Indian prime minister went on to laud the Canadian premier's series. "There are very few people in the world whose CVs include central banking leadership in two countries. Since our first meeting, our relationship has been energised, and mutual trust and positivity have blossomed," he said.

PM Modi announces several key initiatives

During his address, the prime minister shared the following key initiatives:

'Trade deal by the end of the year': Carney

The Canadian prime minister started his address by describing the current ties as the "new era of partnership". He insisted that Canada is "well-positioned to contribute to India's energy needs", confirming that Canadian company Cameco has signed a long-term deal to supply uranium to India.

"Nearly two million Canadians trace their roots to India," Carney said, adding that tens of thousands of people travel between the countries to visit relatives. He mentioned that India and Canada are renewing a defence cooperation agreement.

"We are advancing towards a Canada-India Economic Partnership agreement with an aim to conclude it by the end of this year," he said. Carney concluded his address by quoting Indian philosopher Swami Vivekananda.

"He, in his travels, spent time in both Vancouver and Winnipeg. And in his travels and his texts, he personified this maxim: arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached," Carney said. He insisted that India and Canada would not stop their partnership until their goals are met.