Canada, Jan 27 : Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to travel to India in the first week of March, signalling a renewed effort by Ottawa to repair and strengthen ties with New Delhi after months of diplomatic strain.
Indian High Commissioner to Canada Dinesh Patnaik said the proposed visit could see the signing of key agreements covering uranium, energy cooperation, critical minerals and artificial intelligence. He also indicated that negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries are likely to restart around the same time.
Momentum for the visit is already building, with Canada’s Energy Minister Tim Hodgson scheduled to visit India this week. While Hodgson stopped short of confirming dates, he acknowledged that plans for Carney’s India trip are underway and will depend on progress in ongoing engagements.
A series of high-level exchanges are expected ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman may travel to Canada soon, while National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is set to visit Ottawa next month for discussions focused on security cooperation. These engagements are seen as preparatory steps for a potential meeting between Carney and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India–Canada relations deteriorated sharply last year following allegations made by former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding India’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The claims, made without publicly shared evidence, led to a diplomatic standoff and reciprocal actions by both sides.
Since Carney assumed office after Trudeau’s resignation, bilateral ties have shown signs of recovery, marked by the resumption of senior-level dialogue. Earlier this week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, with both sides expressing interest in expanding cooperation across economic, technological and strategic sectors.