Canadian foreign minister Anita Anand to visit India to strengthen ‘strained’ ties: Report

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is set to visit China and India in the coming weeks as Canada seeks to repair and strengthen its strained relationships with the two major Asian economies.

Anand said she’ll meet with her counterparts in those countries and discuss ways to cooperate amid the issues that have plagued relationships in recent years — including a tariff battle with China and accusations of transnational repression and violence by India, as reported by Bloomberg.

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Canada must “ensure we have a bilateral relationship with significant economic powers in the Indo-Pacific,” Anand said in an interview on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York.

“The work that we will do with these partners is to ensure that Canada’s interests are at the forefront.”

Earlier in June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada. The two leaders agreed to take “constructive” steps toward stabilising and strengthening India-Canada relations.

Ties between the two countries had sharply deteriorated after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged a possible Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani supporter Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In response, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats in October last year, after Ottawa tried to link them to the case. Canada faced reciprocal expulsions of its diplomats.

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However, the situation began to improve following Liberal Party leader Mark Carney’s victory in the April parliamentary elections, which paved the way for a diplomatic reset.

Canada has the largest Sikh population outside India.

Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.

With Mark Carney now serving as the Canadian Prime Minister after Trudeau's resignation, both countries appear to be taking steps to improve ties. According to MEA, PM Modi and PM Carney had a "key meeting" at the G7 Summit where they discussed ways to restore and strengthen the bilateral relationship.

Anand said domestic public safety is the government’s top priority. She added that Canada’s national security adviser just met with her Indian counterpart, and the two discussed transnational repression.

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The two NSAs also spoke about advancing the bilateral relationship that includes areas such as counter terrorism, combating transnational organised crime and intelligence exchanges.

“We will continue to stay on top of it for the benefit of the safety and security of the Canadian public,” Anand said.

Earlier in June, Canada's intelligence agency CSIS report categorically stated, “Khalistani extremists continue to use Canada as a base for the promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India.”

India has long voiced concerns over Khalistani extremists operating from Canadian soil, but Canada had largely ignored or overlooked the issue until now.

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Canada's own intelligence security has confirmed what New Delhi has long maintained -- Canada has become a safe haven for anti-India elements.

"These activities attempt to steer Canada's positions into alignment with India's interests on key issues, particularly with respect to how the Indian government perceives Canada-based supporters of an independent homeland that they call Khalistan," added the report.

(With inputs from agencies)