First Canadian minister visit since diplomatic reset: Anita Anand heads to India for talks with Modi’s cabinet on strategic cooperation

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand will become the first minister from the country to visit India since diplomatic relations were reset and restored at the High Commissioner level.

"Today (Saturday, Oct 11), the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced she will travel to India, Singapore and China from October 12 to 17 to advance bilateral relations and cooperation as part of Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy," the Canadian government said in an official statement.

During her visit to India, beginning October 13, Anand will meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to work towards a framework for strategic cooperation on trade diversification, energy transition, and security, according to the statement.


The trip comes amid the Carney administration's efforts to repair strained ties with New Delhi. Anand will also visit Mumbai to meet Canadian and Indian businesses focused on investment, job creation, and economic opportunities in both countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney had met in June on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, in a bid to mend relations. Following the meeting, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described their talks as "very positive and constructive," adding that both sides agreed on "calibrated steps to bring stability back to the relationship."

The renewed engagement was followed by the appointment of Christopher Cooter as Canada's High Commissioner to New Delhi and Dinesh K. Patnaik as India's envoy to Ottawa.

Last month, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met his Canadian counterpart Nathalie G. Drouin to discuss deeper cooperation in counterterrorism, tackling transnational organised crime, and intelligence sharing. Senior foreign ministry officials from both sides also held a brainstorming session to revive dialogue at multiple levels.