Less than a month since she was in New Delhi for a standalone bilateral visit, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly is returning to the Indian capital to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
She will also feature at the Raisina Dialogue co-hosted by the Observer Research Foundation or ORF and the Ministry of External Affairs. Joly will be in India from Wednesday to Friday.
“As the world continues to confront inflation, the rising cost of living and supply chain disruptions compounded by Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, it has never been more critical for G20 and Indo-Pacific partners to demonstrate our resolve to make a real, lasting difference. Together, we must rise to the global challenges and build a better future for everyone. Canada welcomes India’s G20 Presidency and its leadership in organizing the Raisina Dialogue,” she said in a statement issued by Global Affairs Canada, the country’s foreign ministry, on Tuesday.
She will “discuss India’s G20 agenda under the theme of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future,’ with a focus on accelerating progress to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2023,” the release said.
The situation in Ukraine will be major focus area, as the release said, “She will address the acute challenges millions are facing around the world, which are compounded by Russia’s unjustifiable and illegal war against Ukraine.”
At the Raisina Dialogue, she will participate in a panel discussion on the future of the G20 in a changing world.
“Throughout her visit, Minister Joly will also reinforce the importance of an open, free and secure Indo-Pacific as Canada continues to expand and invest in the region, creating more opportunities, and building more bridges under its Indo-Pacific Strategy,” it added.
Joly traveled to New Delhi in February for a two-day visit, highlighted by a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Joly also announced that Maninder Sidhu, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, is in India to “engage with business leaders and civil society partners on strengthening ties between Canada and India under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.”
“Canada and India have a rich history built on close people-to-people ties and a joint interest in deepening our trade and investment relationship. Through this strong bilateral relationship and under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, we are unlocking new opportunities for economic advancement and prosperity,” Sidhu, an Indo-Canadian, said in a statement.
The Raisina Dialogue will also feature Scott Moe, Premier of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and Vice Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy.
