- Jaishankar says India and Canada are preparing to take ties "to a higher level."
- Carney says Modi is expected to visit Canada around December.
- The proposed trade deal aims to more than double bilateral trade to C$70 billion by 2030.
- In July, the RCMP said it found no evidence linking Indian officials to Nijjar's killing.
INDIA and Canada are preparing to take their relationship "to a higher level," External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said after meeting his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
"Always a pleasure to meet FM @AnitaAnandMP of Canada #UNGA81 A productive discussion as we prepare to take the relationship to a higher level," Jaishankar said in a post on X on Saturday, alongside a short video of the two in conversation.
Anand, who is of Indian origin and whose parents came from Tamil Nadu and Punjab, has met Jaishankar several times since becoming Canada's foreign minister in 2025.
Modi’s Canada visit could give India-Canada trade talks a December deadline
The meeting follows Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement earlier in the week that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Canada around December.
"We are making good progress in our trade negotiations with India. It is an exceptionally important relationship on many many levels, people-to-people levels, security levels, and also trade and economic," Carney told a press conference at the UN on Tuesday.
Carney said the two countries had committed at last year's G20 to "look to conclude negotiations by the G20 this year." The proposed free trade agreement aims to more than double bilateral trade to C$70 billion a year by 2030. President Donald Trump will host this year's G20 summit on December 14-15 at Trump National Doral Miami in Florida.
From diplomatic row to thaw
Relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In September 2023, he said Canadian security agencies were pursuing allegations of a potential link between agents of the Indian government and the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. India rejected the claim, and both sides expelled diplomats.
In July this year, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it had found no evidence linking Indian government officials to Nijjar's killing.
Canada launches $100 million scholarship program for Indian students
Ties have gradually improved since Carney took office in March 2025. He and Modi agreed in June last year to take calibrated steps to restore stability, leading to the return of high commissioners and a series of high-level meetings. In March, the two governments reported "significant progress" toward normalizing relations.
On the UNGA sidelines, Jaishankar also met Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia Gonzalez as India looks to diversify its energy sources.
"Our energy ties are gaining momentum, besides other areas of bilateral cooperation. We also discussed current regional issues," he said.
He also held talks with Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov and Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco Alvarez.
