"India-Canada Ties Will Boost Democratic Values": PM To Mark Carney At G7

Here are the top 10 points from this big story:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 meet in Alberta today. Their bilateral meet carries the hope of a reboot in ties that deteriorated last year under the Justin Trudeau government.

1. During his meeting with Mr Carney, PM Modi stressed that "India-Canada relations are extremely important". "We will work together to strengthen democratic values," he said.

2. According to a statement by the office of the Canadian Prime Minister, Mr Carney and Mr Modi reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties, based upon mutual respect, the rule of law, and a commitment to the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

3. In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: "PM reiterated India's stand against terrorism & thanked the leaders for condemning the ghastly Pahalgam terror attack. He urged them to galvanize global action against terrorism & underlined the need to take strict action against those who promote & support terrorism."

4. The two sides discussed strong and historic ties between their peoples, partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, and significant commercial links between Canada and India -- including partnerships in economic growth, supply chains, and the energy transformation.

5. PM Modi said that New Delhi and Ottawa should work together to achieve win-win cooperation in various sectors. "In his address, PM highlighted the need to ensure energy security for all through a sustainable & green pathway and elaborated upon India's global initiatives such as ISA, CDRI & the Global Biofuels Alliance, towards this objective," Mr Jaiswal said.

6. Mr Carney said it was a "great honour to host" PM Modi. The Canadian leader added that together, "we will tackle energy security, the future of AI, and the fight we have against terrorism". He also raised priorities on the G7 agenda, including transnational crime and repression, security, and the rules-based order.

7. Following the talks, India and Canada agreed to designate new high commissioners, with a view to return to regular services to citizens and businesses in both countries, according to the statement.

8. PM Modi is in Alberta on the invitation of PM Carney. India is not a member of G7, but attends the meetings. The invite is seen to have signalled Canada's intent to get ties with India and the ongoing partnerships in multiple arenas back on track.

9. Ottawa's relationship with New Delhi had dropped to an all-time low last year, following the killing of pro-Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023. This is PM Modi's first visit to Canada since then.

10. Then PM Trudeau had pointed fingers at New Delhi, alleging the involvement of Indian agents in the murder. New Delhi had refuted the allegations and accused the Trudeau government of allowing pro-Khalistan groups to operate from Canadian soil. In October last year, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats and expelled an equal number of representatives from Canada.