Ottawa/New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke with Canada’s newly elected Prime Minister, Mark Carney, discussing global issues and confirming his participation in the upcoming G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, later this month.
“Glad to receive a call from Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada. Congratulated him on his recent election victory and thanked him for the invitation to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis later this month. As vibrant democracies bound by strong people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed energy, based on mutual respect and shared interests. Looking forward to meeting at the Summit,” PM Modi posted on X following their conversation.
Canada, which currently holds the G7 presidency, will host the Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to 17.
The G7 is an informal bloc of some of the world’s most advanced economies—Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US—and the European Union.
PM Modi had also attended last year’s 50th G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy, where India was invited as an Outreach Country. That visit marked his first foreign trip after beginning his third consecutive term in office. It was India’s 11th participation in the G7 and Modi’s fifth in a row, where he engaged on key global and regional issues concerning India and the Global South.
The upcoming Kananaskis visit also signals a potential revival in India-Canada relations under Carney’s leadership. Carney has emphasized strengthening economic ties with India, calling the relationship “incredibly important” during his campaign. He noted the deep personal, economic, and strategic connections between the two nations.
PM Modi earlier congratulated Carney on his election win following the resignation of former PM Justin Trudeau. In his message, Modi highlighted the strong people-to-people relations and expressed hope for unlocking new opportunities.
Last week, India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, also spoke with Anita Anand after her appointment as Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Anand wrote on X, “Thank you Minister @DrSJaishankar for the productive discussion today on strengthening Canada-India ties, deepening our economic cooperation, and advancing shared priorities.”
The conversation marks a thaw in relations that had sharply deteriorated under Trudeau. In 2023, ties soured when Trudeau accused India of involvement in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar—allegations India strongly denied, calling them “absurd” and “politically motivated.”
The fallout led both countries to expel senior diplomats, freeze trade talks, and suspend official visits. India also accused Canada of tolerating extremist activities and failing to prevent threats against Indian diplomats.
With a new leadership in place in Ottawa, both nations appear poised to reset their diplomatic ties and resume cooperation on shared priorities.
With inputs from IANS