In First Conversation After Major Diplomatic Meltdown, Jaishankar Speaks To Canadian Counterpart

SOURCE ; NEW18

Last Updated:May 25, 2025, 23:45 IST

Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney is pushing for deepening economic cooperation with India

In the first official conversation since a major diplomatic dispute between India and Canada, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his counterpart Anita Anand.

Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney is pushing for deepening economic cooperation with India. The country will be hosting the G7 Summit from June 15 to 17.

Anand made the announcement on her social media handle on X, thanking Jaishankar for the “productive discussion” on Indo-Canadian ties.

“Thank you Minister @DrSJaishankar for the productive discussion today on strengthening Canada-India ties, deepening our economic cooperation, and advancing shared priorities. I look forward to continuing our work together,” she wrote on X.

Soon after, Jaishankar confirmed the conversation with Anand on his X, saying he discussed prospects of the relations between the two countries.

“Appreciate the telecon with FM @AnitaAnandMP of Canada. Discussed the prospects of India-Canada ties. Wished her a very successful tenure,” he wrote on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated Carney on being elected as the Prime Minister after his predecessor Justin Trudeau stepped down from the role. In his message, he had stressed strong people-to-people ties between the two countries while saying he was looking forward to “unlocking greater opportunities”.

With Carney, it looks like India wants to turn a new leaf in bilateral ties that had nosedived under Trudeau amid unsubstantiated allegations against New Delhi related to the killing of pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023.

Even during his campaign, the Canadian Prime Minister said rebuilding ties with India was a priority for his government, describing it as an “incredibly important relationship”. He had said Canadians have deep personal, economic and strategic ties with India.

WHAT IS THE DISPUTE BETWEEN INDIA AND CANADA?

Relations between India and Canada took a big hit in 2023 after Trudeau publicly accused India of being involved in the killing of Nijjar on Canadian soil, allegations that India described as “absurd” and “politically motivated”.

Tensions escalated as Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, followed by a tit-for-tat move by India last year. Both countries expelled top envoys, froze trade talks and suspended official visits. India has accused Canada of tolerating extremism on its soil and failing to take action to curb attacks against its diplomats.

First Published:

May 25, 2025, 23:42 IST