Toronto: With Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly reaching New Delhi on Monday for her first official visit to India, there is optimism that the trajectory of relations between the two countries will change this year.
“We should expect positive narratives coming out of it,” a senior Indian official said.
The official release from Global Affairs Canada on Saturday, the country’s foreign ministry, announcing the visit was also positive. “Because of its strategic, economic and demographic importance in the world, India is a critical partner in Canada’s pursuit of its objectives under our Indo-Pacific strategy (IPS) and on the global stage,” it said.
Joly will be in New Delhi on February 6 and 7 and hold a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The release said the objective is “to deepen bilateral ties and foster stronger partnerships”.
Joly will “build on the two countries’ shared tradition of democracy and pluralism, a common commitment to a rules-based international system and multilateralism, mutual interest in expanding our commercial relationship and strengthening our extensive and growing people-to-people connections,” it added.
“Both ministers will identify areas where Canadian and Indian interests converge and where the two countries could further collaborate on global and regional issues, especially as India holds the presidency of the G20 this year,” it stated.
“As I depart for my first official trip to India, I’m looking forward to strengthen our relationship, putting our Indo-Pacific Strategy into action,” Joly tweeted on Saturday evening.
The view is that 2023 could be a turning point in India-Canada ties, which has been dogged by negativity due to New Delhi’s displeasure over the activities of pro-Khalistan separatists in Canada. Ajay Bisaria, former Indian high commissioner to Ottawa had earlier told the Hindustan Times that 2023 could serve as “the year of an important reset in the Indo-Canadian strategic partnership”. “India’s instinct will be to creatively address bilateral issues even as it builds consensus on global issues as G20 chair,” he said.
Prior to this visit, Joly has twice met Jaishankar in person on the margins of multilateral events and they have also had two telephonic conversations. “The wide-ranging bilateral cooperation between Canada and India spans the fields of science and technology, finance, education, defence and security,” Global Affairs Canada noted.
The release added that Joly will also engage with key stakeholders in India’s business and civil society communities regarding Canada’s “robust agenda” with India under the IPS.
The Indo-Pacific region and how India and Canada can productively collaborate in this sphere will be the “key focus” of the bilateral, the Indian official said.
