India and Canada are working together to strengthen their relationship and promote a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region. The Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Saurabh Kumar, met with Assistant Deputy Ministers in the Canadian Foreign Ministry, Weldon Epp and Alexandre Leveque, to discuss ways to advance their shared vision. The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, tweeted about the meeting, highlighting the importance of strengthening India-Canada relations.
The two sides recently held their Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) on April 11 in Ottawa, during which they discussed regional issues, including the Indo-Pacific region and cooperation in multilateral organizations. The Indian delegation was led by Saurabh Kumar, while the Canadian side was headed by David Morrison, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. They welcomed regular dialogue and meetings of bilateral mechanisms, including upcoming ministerial visits, which would help broaden the bilateral agenda.
India and Canada share warm relations based on shared democratic values and a long-standing friendship. The wide-ranging bilateral cooperation between the two countries spans the fields of science and technology, finance, education, defence, and security. There are also deep people-to-people connections between Canada and India, with 1.8 million Canadians of Indian origin in Canada, and India being the primary source of new immigrants to Canada.
Both countries are engaged in technical negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which includes trade in goods, services, investment, and trade facilitation. There are also separate Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with implementation mechanisms to advance relations in the fields of energy, mining, and agriculture.
The next FOC is set to take place in India, and both sides expressed support for India’s leadership in the context of its ongoing G20 Presidency. They will continue to work together to ensure the success of the G20, broaden the bilateral agenda, and deepen collaboration across domains.