Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, as both countries seek to accelerate negotiations on a free trade arrangement. Multiple outlets report that the leaders reaffirm their aim to conclude talks for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by 2026 and press for completing the trade pact within this year-end timeframe, while also setting timelines for further progress. The discussions build on earlier engagement, including Carney’s visit to India in March and a follow-up push involving industry and commerce representatives. Reports say the talks cover trade and economic links, including commercial arrangements related to LNG, LPG and metallurgical coal, and plans to deepen bilateral commerce. On strategic cooperation, the leaders discuss defence and security collaboration, including agreement to start negotiations on a General Security of Information Agreement. They also review cooperation in energy, innovation, education and people-to-people exchanges. Outlets note that Modi and Carney frame the renewed agenda as part of a broader effort to rebuild and deepen India-Canada relations after a diplomatic downturn in 2023.
Modi and Carney agree 2026 deadline to conclude India-Canada trade pact at G7
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, as both countries seek to accelerate negotiations on a free trade arrangeme...
- Modi and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney meet on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains.
- India and Canada reaffirm their objective to conclude negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with a 2026 deadline.
- The leaders discuss trade and energy cooperation, including commercial arrangements related to LNG, LPG and metallurgical coal.
- They agree to launch negotiations on a General Security of Information Agreement to deepen defence and security cooperation.
- Talks build on prior momentum from Carney’s March visit to India and follow-on engagement between the two countries.
India and Canada on Tuesday agreed to conclude negotiations for a free trade agreement by the year-end as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on boosting ties in areas of defence, trade and energy. Modi and Carney met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains in eastern France. "It was a delight to meet Prime Minister Carney on the sidelines of the Evian G7 Summit," Modi said in a post on X. "In less than a year, it is our fourth meeting, indicating our commitment to strong India-Canada ties. We reviewed the full range of relations between our nations, notably the ground covered since we last met," he said. During the meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed concluding the negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) this year, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. "Both sides expressed satisfaction with the progress in negotiations towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the negotiations in 2026," the MEA said. The two prime ministers welcomed the positive momentum in bilateral relations and noted the progress achieved since Carney's visit to India in March this year, it said. The two sides also agreed to launch negotiations on a General Security of Information Agreement to deepen defence and security cooperation. "Both leaders reviewed the excellent progress made in bilateral engagement and discussed ways to build a stronger partnership driven by trade, energy, innovation, education and people-to-people exchanges," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X. Reaffirming their commitment to a "forward-looking strategic partnership", Modi and Carney highlighted the complementarities between the Indian and Canadian economies and underscored the importance of resilient and reliable supply chains for global energy and food security, according to the MEA statement. The leaders reviewed progress in economic cooperation, including commercial arrangements relating to LNG, LPG and metallurgical coal. The Canadian prime minister was in India from February 27 to March 2, during which India and Canada sealed key pacts on supplies of Uranium and critical minerals and agreed to conclude a comprehensive economic partnership agreement soon. At the time, the two prime ministers had also pledged to ramp up cooperation in defence, critical technologies, small and modular nuclear reactors, education and renewable energy. At the meeting on the G7 sidelines, they also welcomed growing institutional engagement, including recent meetings of the Joint Science and Technology Committee and the Consular Dialogue, and looked forward to dialogues in the areas of defence, finance and migration. The leaders also noted ongoing collaboration under the Canada-India Talent and Innovation Strategy and announced the establishment of Raisina Americas as a platform to further strengthen dialogue, exchanges and cooperation. Modi also expressed support for Canada becoming a Dialogue Partner of the Indian Ocean Rim Association, the statement said. The ties between the two countries hit rock bottom following then-prime minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in 2023 of a potential Indian link to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. The two sides initiated a series of measures to rebuild the relations after Carney became the prime minister in March last year.
4 days agoThe Evian meeting builds on the groundwork laid during Carney's visit to India in March, increasingly being read as the inflexion point of the bilateral reset.
4 days agoThe two countries have been negotiating a free trade agreement, with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal visiting Canada last month with a delegation of over 100 industry representatives
4 days agoPrime Ministers Modi and Carney met at the G7 Summit to accelerate deals on LNG shipments, defence security, and doubling bilateral commerce by 2030.
4 days ago
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