Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement on Friday that he had spoken over the phone with his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, when he was formally invited to the G7 Summit later this month in Kananaskis, Alberta.
Attending the summit, Modi confirmed that he is anticipating meeting Carney at the summit.
Glad to get a call from Prime Minister Mark J Carney of Canada. Congratulated him on his recent election win and expressed gratitude for the invitation to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis later this month,” Modi tweeted on X.
He went on, “As dynamic democracies linked by deep people-to-people bonds, India and Canada will stride forward together with fresh energy, informed by mutual respect and common interests. Forward to our meeting at the Summit.”
The G7 Summit this year will be held from June 15 to June 17 in the picturesque town of Kananaskis, Alberta. Hosted by Canada under Prime Minister Carney, the summit will feature leaders from Canada, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Japan, and Italy. Regular invitations to attend the outreach meetings of the G7 have been extended to Prime Minister Modi by host countries like France, Germany, the UK, Japan, and Italy since 2019.
Strained Past, Rebuilding Hopes
The move comes amidst attempts at repairing strained India-Canada relations. Relations had deteriorated severely after former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents in September 2023 of having a hand in the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a charge New Delhi strongly denied as ‘absurd’. In its wake, both countries expelled high-level diplomats and reduced bilateral interactions.
Now, with Carney’s administration in charge, things are looking like a reset. According to a Hindustan Times report, Canada is aiming to rebuild the relationship gradually. Foreign Minister Anita Anand, who had a recent phone call with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, was optimistic but cautious, stating the renewal of relations would be ‘one step at a time’.
With Modi’s confirmation of G7 participation and a bilateral meeting on the cards, the upcoming summit may provide a diplomatic opening for the two democracies to re-engage constructively.
