India, Canada to Boost Partnership     03/02 06:23

   

   NEW DELHI (AP) -- India and Canada on Monday agreed to strengthen their 
economic partnership, in a move aimed at boosting ties after two years of 
strained relationship.

   Speaking after talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Indian Prime 
Minister Narendra Modi said the two countries would soon finalize a 
"comprehensive economic partnership" which is expected to increase bilateral 
trade to $50 billion by 2030.

   India and Canada began advancing negotiations on a long-pending trade 
agreement last year, as Carney moved to re-engage with New Delhi, restore 
diplomatic channels and stabilize ties between the two countries.

   Carney said the two sides were aiming to conclude the deal by the end of the 
year.

   "This is not merely the renewal of a relationship. It is the expansion of a 
valued partnership with new ambition, focus, and foresight," Carney said.

   Ties deteriorated after Canadian authorities alleged that India was involved 
in the killing of a Canadian Sikh activist near Vancouver in June 2023. New 
Delhi vehemently denied the allegations and accused former Canadian Prime 
Minister Justin Trudeau's government of harboring Sikh extremists of the 
Khalistan movement. The movement, which aims to create an independent Sikh 
homeland, is banned in India.

   The fallout saw both sides expel senior diplomats and suspend some visa 
services.

   Relations improved last year in June when Carney invited Modi to the G7 
summit in Alberta.

   After the talks on Monday, Modi said India and Canada signed a nuclear 
agreement under which Canada will supply uranium to India. The two countries 
would also work to strengthen defense industries and enhance maritime domain 
awareness, he said.

   Officials from both sides also exchanged a series of memoranda of 
understanding spanning areas including critical minerals, energy and cultural 
cooperation.

   Carney is expected to leave for Australia and Japan later Monday, part of 
his effort to diversify trade away from the United States. He has set a goal 
for Canada to double its non-U.S. exports in the next decade, saying American 
tariffs are causing a chill in investment.