India, Canada push for early trade pact as Jaishankar, Anand review ties in Delhi

India and Canada on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and accelerating negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held wide-ranging talks with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand in New Delhi.

The two ministers emphasised the need to sustain the momentum in high-level diplomatic engagement and translate it into concrete outcomes, particularly in trade, security, defence, energy and technology.

Anand, who is on a working visit to India, also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed opportunities to expand cooperation between the two countries.

The meetings came a day after Modi held a telephone conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, during which both leaders agreed to build on the positive momentum in bilateral ties and work towards an early conclusion of the proposed trade agreement.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Jaishankar and Anand reviewed ongoing efforts to strengthen the India-Canada strategic partnership and identified opportunities for deeper cooperation across several sectors.

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲

The two foreign ministers welcomed the progress made in negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and expressed support for its early conclusion.

The proposed agreement is expected to provide a broader framework for expanding trade and investment between India and Canada.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the fifth round of negotiations had taken place in Ottawa approximately a week earlier.

He reiterated that both countries remained committed to concluding a mutually beneficial agreement.

The renewed push for CEPA follows discussions between Modi and Carney, who have identified the agreement as an important element of their efforts to deepen economic engagement.

According to a statement issued by the Canadian Prime Minister's Office following Tuesday's telephone conversation, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to completing negotiations at the earliest opportunity.

The proposed agreement is also expected to support efforts to double bilateral trade by 2030.

𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗶 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿

During her visit, Anand called on Prime Minister Modi and discussed the future direction of India-Canada relations.

Modi described the interaction as productive and highlighted opportunities for expanding cooperation in trade, technology and energy.

The meeting followed his conversation with Carney on Tuesday, which the Indian Prime Minister had described as "warm and productive".

Both leaders had agreed to maintain the positive momentum in bilateral relations and advance cooperation in areas of shared interest.

Anand's visit is part of the continuing high-level engagement between the two countries, with economic cooperation emerging as a major priority.

The discussions also reflected efforts to ensure that diplomatic exchanges lead to measurable progress in bilateral initiatives.

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮

The talks between Jaishankar and Anand extended beyond trade and investment to include security, defence and energy cooperation.

"They had detailed exchange of views on enhancing security and defence cooperation, as well as expanding energy cooperation," the MEA said in a statement.

The ministers reviewed existing areas of engagement and discussed possibilities for broadening cooperation in sectors considered important to the bilateral partnership.

Energy featured prominently in the discussions, reflecting the importance both countries attach to strengthening collaboration in the sector.

Security and defence cooperation also formed part of the agenda, with the ministers exchanging views on ways to deepen engagement.

The discussions were aimed at identifying practical areas where closer cooperation could deliver benefits to both countries.

𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲-𝘁𝗼-𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀

The two sides also examined opportunities to expand collaboration in education, science and technology.

According to the MEA, the ministers discussed ways to strengthen people-to-people connections and broaden engagement in multilateral forums.

Education and technology remain important areas of bilateral interaction, with both countries seeking to build on existing institutional and professional links.

The discussions included opportunities for closer cooperation in scientific research and technological development.

Jaishankar and Anand also exchanged perspectives on regional and global developments of mutual interest.

The exchange provided an opportunity for both countries to discuss international issues alongside their bilateral priorities.

𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀

The MEA said the ministers underlined the importance of maintaining regular high-level engagement and ensuring that diplomatic discussions translated into practical achievements.

The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both governments to pursuing a "constructive and forward-looking partnership" that delivers tangible benefits for the people of India and Canada.

The emphasis on concrete outcomes comes as the two countries seek to advance cooperation across economic, strategic and technological sectors.

The recent sequence of diplomatic engagements, including the Modi-Carney telephone conversation and Anand's meetings in New Delhi, has placed renewed attention on the proposed trade agreement.

With five rounds of CEPA negotiations completed, both sides are seeking to maintain momentum towards a mutually acceptable deal.

The foreign ministers' discussions also underscored the broader objective of strengthening the bilateral partnership through sustained engagement in security, energy, education, technology and multilateral cooperation.

The next steps will centre on advancing the trade negotiations and following through on the areas of cooperation identified during the latest meetings.