‘On an ambitious cooperation roadmap’: EAM Jaishankar after bilateral meeting with Canadian FM Anita Anand

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday that India views Canada as a complementary economy and an open society, with diversity and pluralism forming the foundation for a close, sustainable, and long-term partnership between the two nations.

The Minister stated that India's approach is to move forward with a positive mindset, and that bilateral relations between India and Canada have been steadily progressing over the last two months.

“When we look at Canada, we see a complementary economy, we see another open society, we see diversity and pluralism and we believe that it is the basis for a close, sustainable and long-term cooperative framework,” Jaishankar said at the bilateral meeting with visiting Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand on Monday.

Anand arrived in the national capital on Sunday. "As PM Modi noted during his meeting with PM Carney in Kananaskis, India's approach is to move forward with a positive mindset. This morning, you met the PM and heard from him personally about our vision of cooperation and how to best realise it," EAM Jaishankar said.

It is Anand's first visit to India since assuming the charge of the foreign minister of Canada in May this year. She is also scheduled to meet Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss ways to boost two-way trade ties.

“Our meeting today continues the constructive conversations that we have been having since our telephone call on 26th May. India-Canada bilateral relations have been steadily progressing in the last 2 months. We are working to restore and reinvigorate the mechanisms necessary to advance our partnership," Jaishankar said.

‘De-risk’ the international economy: Jaishankar

Anand will travel to Singapore and China from India. The visit to India comes at a time when India and Canada are moving towards establishing a framework for strategic cooperation on issues such as trade diversification, energy transformation and security, a Canadian readout said on Saturday.

"Both sides, for our meeting today, have prepared an ambitious roadmap to advance our cooperation in various domains, including trade, investment, agriculture, science and technology, civil nuclear collaboration, AI, critical minerals and energy. I am glad that the two High Commissioners have assumed their responsibilities in our respective capitals and are part of today's meetings," he said.

Jaishankar also said he looks forward to working closely with the Canadian counterpart. “We (India-Canada) seek to de-risk the international economy today by forging strong partnerships of growing range and depth, ” he said.

What did Anita Anand say?

The Canadian foreign minister's visit comes more than three weeks after Canada's National Security Advisor Nathalie Drouin visited India and held extensive talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.

Days after the Doval-Drouin meeting, Canada designated the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity for "violently targeting" certain communities and creating a "climate of fear and intimidation".

"I appreciate the words you spoke relating to the security dialogue, which, while we elevate the relationship in areas of critical minerals, energy, AI, and climate, to name a few, will continue. The meeting that our officials had relating to security and law enforcement just a few weeks ago here was very productive, and that dialogue will continue. Both of our governments agree on the importance of those dialogues," she said on Monday.

Both of our governments agree on the importance of elevating the relationship going further, the Canadian Minister said.

"So this joint statement will discuss our mutual plans for re-engagement. It will inform Canadians and Indians alike that we are collectively committed to advancing this relationship now and in the long term, particularly when it comes to our mutual priorities in the Indo-Pacific. Dhanyawaad, thank you so much again. We look forward to the conversation," she said.

(With agency inputs)