Anand, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, called on PM Modi on Monday morning before holding discussions with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.
Welcoming Anand, Prime Minister Modi recalled his visit to Canada in June this year for the G7 Summit during which he held an “extremely productive” meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“Prime Minister noted the significance of enhanced cooperation between the two countries in trade, energy, technology, agriculture and people-to-people ties. Prime Minister conveyed his warm wishes to Prime Minister Mark Carney and said that he looked forward to their upcoming engagements,” read a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“I met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning in New Delhi. Building on the momentum of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s meeting with PM Modi this summer at the G7 Summit, Canada and India are elevating the relationship between our countries, while maintaining our law enforcement and security dialogue and expanding our economic relationship,” Anand posted on X after the meeting with PM Modi.
Earlier, EAM Jaishankar said that the ties between India and Canada have been steadily progressing in the past few months, and the two nations are working to restore the mechanisms necessary to advance the partnership.
Welcoming Anand on her first visit to India as Canada’s Foreign Minister, EAM Jaishankar said, “India-Canada bilateral relations have been steadily progressing in the last few months. We are working to restore and reinvigorate the mechanisms necessary to advance our partnership.”
“As Prime Minister Modi noted during his meeting with Prime Minister Carney in Kananaskis, India’s approach is to move forward with a positive mindset. This morning, you met the Prime Minister. You have heard from him personally about our vision of cooperation and how best to realise it,” he added.
He also recalled the “productive” meeting between National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Canadian NSA Nathalie G. Drouin, calling it “an important first step towards enhancing our security cooperation.”
“Our foreign ministries at the level of the secretary of the deputy minister also met on September 19 to review the overall relationship. Our trade ministers spoke recently on October 11. So, when we look at Canada, we see a complementary economy, we see another open society, we see diversity and pluralism, and we believe that that is the basis for a close, sustainable and long-term cooperative framework,” EAM Jaishankar added.
He noted that India and Canada have prepared an ambitious roadmap to advance cooperation in various sectors, including science and technology, civil nuclear collaboration, AI, trade and agriculture.
“I’m glad that the two high commissioners have assumed their responsibilities in our respective capitals and are part of today’s meeting. This is our high commissioner with whom you have spoken,” the EAM added.
“Our responsibility as foreign ministers is to shepherd the process of rebuilding our cooperation and to ensure that it delivers on the expectations of our prime ministers and the interests of our people. It means not only taking initiatives in our particular jurisdiction, but also monitoring and integrating interactions across the entire breadth of the government. I look forward to doing so, working closely with you, Minister,” he added.
(IANS)
