Cooperation on counter-terror measures is expected to be a key area of focus in the duo's meeting
Highlights
- The tweet came five days after Justin Trudeau landed in India
- PM Modi and Mr Trudeau will meet on Friday for a bilateral meeting
- The meeting is expected to focus on trade, defence and space
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted a welcome to Justin Trudeau last evening - five days after the Canadian Prime Minister and his family landed in India. The two leaders are expected to have a bilateral meeting today. Since Saturday, the Trudeaus toured the country amid talk of snub by the political establishment over what's seen as Canada's soft stance on Sikhs who demand Khalistan. Yesterday, in a major diplomatic snafu, a Khalistani terrorist was found to have been invited by Canadian High Commissioner Nadir Patel for a dinner in Delhi.
Here are the 10 updates on the story:
"I hope PM @JustinTrudeau and his family had a very enjoyable stay so far. I particularly look forward to meeting his children Xavier, Ella-Grace, and Hadrien. Here is a picture from my 2015 Canada visit, when I'd met PM Trudeau and Ella-Grace," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
At Friday's bilateral meeting, PM Modi and Mr Trudeau are expected to focus on trade, defence, civil nuclear cooperation, space, tackling climate change energy and education.
Cooperation on counter-terror measures is also expected to be a key area of focus in view of India's concerns over Sikh radicalism in Canada.
Yesterday, the dinner invitation to Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal at a reception for Mr Trudeau at the Canada House in the national capital was cancelled. On Tuesday, he had attended an event in Mumbai and was photographed with Mr Trudeau's wife Sophie Trudeau and Canadian minister Amarjeet Sohi.
The invitations proved a huge embarrassment to Canada and Mr Trudeau said he would take action against the person responsible for issuing the invitation to Jaspal Atwal, who was sentenced to 20 years in jail for trying to kill a Punjab minister visiting Canada in 1986. Canadian MP Randeep Sarai has taken the blame and issued an apology.
Mr Trudeau addressed a business summit in Delhi and visited the national capital's Jama Masjid yesterday. He also visited the Modern High School's cricket grounds, where he and his three children tried their hands at batting.
On Wednesday, Justin Trudeau and his family visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest shrine for Sikhs. They offered Kar Seva and were seen trying to make rotis under the guidance of celebrity chef Vikas Khanna.
The Trudeaus have also visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, Mahatma Gandhi's ashram in Gujarat's Sabarmati, addressed the students at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad and met Bollywood celebrities Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan.
The absence of any welcome tweet from Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- who had broken protocol to receive several world leaders at the airport -- is seen as a snub. PM Modi had not accompanied Mr Trudeau during his visit home state Gujarat either, a courtesy that was extended to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The visit of the 46-year-old Prime Minister -- who once remarked that he had more Sikhs in his cabinet than PM Modi - is seen as an outreach to the Sikhs residing in Canada, who form a chunk of Mr Trudeau's domestic constituency. An estimated 1.4 million people of Indian origin are settled in Canada.
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