NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Canada on December 11-12, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said, as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to strengthen bilateral ties and advance cooperation in trade, energy, technology and security.Carney confirmed the dates while speaking to visitors at a restaurant in Calgary on Thursday, saying he had “just spoke” to PM Modi about the upcoming visit. He said the PM Modi would travel to Toronto and Ottawa, adding, “We’ll see if we can broaden it out.”The Indian High Commission in Ottawa subsequently confirmed the December 11-12 visit in a post on X, saying the two leaders had agreed to build on the positive momentum in bilateral relations and work towards concrete outcomes across key sectors.The confirmation came amid renewed diplomatic engagement between the two countries, with both sides pushing to expand economic cooperation and conclude negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).However, the ministry of external affairs had said on Friday that the dates were still under discussion.MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “As you are aware, foreign minister of Canada visited India a few days back. She met with the external affairs minister (S Jaishankar) and discussed progress in bilateral ties. She also called on the Prime Minister. During the visit, the PM Modi’s visit to Canada came up for discussion. The dates for the visit are presently under discussion. We will announce the visit at the appropriate time.”
India, Canada push to conclude trade deal
PM Modi’s proposed visit comes as the two countries seek to conclude negotiations on CEPA by the end of 2026, with the agreement expected to support efforts to double bilateral trade by 2030.Canadian foreign minister Anita Anand discussed the trade pact and ways to expand cooperation during her meeting with Modi in New Delhi earlier this week. The discussions covered trade, investment, energy, education, culture, technology and security.According to a readout issued by the Canadian government, the two leaders also discussed the Team Canada Trade Mission to India, led by Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, as an effort to expand bilateral trade and strengthen Canada’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific.“Minister Anand and PM Modi discussed the importance of concluding a comprehensive economic partnership agreement by the end of the year and highlighted the Team Canada Trade Mission led by International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu as a tangible example of growing the economic partnership, expansion of bilateral trade and advancing Canada’s broader engagements in the Indo-Pacific,” the statement read.Following the meeting, Modi described the discussions as productive and reiterated India’s commitment to strengthening ties with Canada.“Pleased to meet Canadian foreign minister Anita Anand. We had a productive discussion on further strengthening India-Canada ties in trade, technology, security, energy, education and people-to-people exchanges,” PM Modi said in a post on X.“India is committed to building a constructive and forward-looking strategic partnership with Canada that delivers tangible benefits to the people of both countries,” he added.Anand also expressed optimism about the relationship, saying the two countries had considerable scope to expand cooperation in trade, investment and security.“Canada and India have enormous potential to shape a more prosperous future, together. I had the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today to discuss our strategic partnership and the opportunities ahead for trade, investment and security,” she said.“From Prime Minister Carney’s visit earlier this year to the Team Canada Trade Mission underway, our renewed engagement reflects a growing ambition to turn shared priorities into lasting opportunities for both nations,” Anand said, adding that Canada looked forward to welcoming PM Modi in December.
Leaders seek to build on improved bilateral ties
The planned visit follows a telephone conversation between PM Modi and Carney earlier this week, during which the two leaders discussed strengthening the India-Canada strategic partnership.PM Modi described the conversation as warm and productive, stressing the importance of closer cooperation between the two countries.“Together, India and Canada are contributing towards a more stable and prosperous world,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
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According to the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to concluding CEPA negotiations at the earliest opportunity and advancing efforts to double bilateral trade by 2030.Anand’s visit also included discussions on the progress made under the India-Canada joint roadmap. The two sides welcomed a bilateral security dialogue held in India the previous week as part of continued engagement on security and law enforcement at the national security adviser level.The renewed diplomatic engagement comes as India and Canada seek to translate improved political ties into tangible cooperation across economic and strategic sectors.