Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, on Tuesday.
This was the first in-person interaction between the two leaders since Prime Minister Carney assumed office following Canada’s recent general elections. The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to hold frank and forward-looking discussions on the state of India-Canada relations and the way ahead.
The leaders reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties, based on shared democratic values, respect for the rule of law. and commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. They underlined the need to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for concerns and sensitivities, strong people-to-people ties, and growing economic complementarities. In this regard, both sides agreed to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, beginning with the early return of High Commissioners to each other’s capitals.
They also emphasized the importance of restarting senior ministerial and working-level engagements across various domains to rebuild trust and inject momentum into the bilateral relationship.
During their talks, the leaders discussed potential areas of future collaboration, including clean energy, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, liquefied natural gas (LNG), food security, critical minerals, higher education, mobility, and supply chain resilience. They reiterated their shared interest in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The two leaders also stressed the importance of restarting negotiations on the stalled Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), with a view to eventually concluding a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). To that end, they agreed to instruct their respective officials to intensify engagement.
Both sides acknowledged the significant progress made at the G7 Summit and expressed their shared commitment to working together constructively on global priorities such as climate action, inclusive growth, and sustainable development.
They further underlined the strength of the deep-rooted people-to-people ties between India and Canada, agreeing to leverage this living bridge for the benefit of both nations.
The leaders concluded their meeting with a commitment to remain in touch and expressed hope to meet again at the earliest opportunity.
from National https://ift.tt/Dsfv4Ib