Leaders highlight renewed momentum in bilateral ties amid lingering questions over foreign interference
Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday, announcing a series of agreements centred on energy, critical minerals and expanded commercial co-operation.
In joint remarks, Carney said engagement between the two governments over the past year has surpassed that of the previous two decades combined.
“This is not merely the renewal of a relationship,” Carney said. “It is the expansion of a valued partnership with new ambition.”
Among the headline agreements is a $2.6-billion supply deal under which Saskatoon-based Cameco will provide nearly 22 million pounds of uranium to India for nuclear energy generation. The leaders also announced two memorandums of understanding focused on critical minerals and broader energy collaboration.
According to a federal government release, the visit also generated 10 commercial agreements valued at more than $5.5 billion.
The bilateral discussions included a delegation meeting followed by a 35-minute private session between the two leaders. The talks ran longer than scheduled, resulting in the cancellation of a planned lunch meeting with staff and delaying the joint announcement. A scheduled news conference — which would have marked Carney’s first media availability since arriving Thursday — was cancelled shortly before it was to begin.
The trip unfolds against ongoing scrutiny at home over Canada’s stance on alleged foreign interference by India. A report published Sunday by The Globe and Mail cited anonymous sources alleging Indian consular staff in Vancouver provided information connected to the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh activist and president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, B.C.
Nijjar, who advocated for an independent Sikh homeland, was shot and killed in June 2023. Following the killing, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it had evidence pointing to a broader campaign of intimidation and violence.
A news release issued after Monday’s meetings indicated Carney raised concerns about foreign interference, stating that Canada would continue to take measures to combat transnational repression.
The visit marks the first trip to India by a Canadian prime minister since diplomatic relations sharply deteriorated two years ago after then-prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged that agents of the Indian government were involved in Nijjar’s killing — a claim India has rejected.
Carney has positioned the visit as part of a broader effort to stabilize and reset the relationship. Earlier in the trip, he announced that Canada and India are working toward concluding a comprehensive trade agreement by the end of the year. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand also unveiled a new Canada-India strategy on talent and innovation, including 13 new partnerships between universities in both countries.
In his remarks, Modi credited Carney for the renewed momentum in bilateral ties.
“I give the entire credit for this increasing momentum in every area of co-operation to my friend, Prime Minister Carney,” Modi said in comments translated by the Indian government.
As Canada seeks to deepen trade and energy links with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, the challenge will be maintaining economic progress while addressing security concerns raised at home. The agreements announced in New Delhi signal a significant step forward — but the durability of the reset may ultimately depend on how both governments navigate unresolved tensions in the months ahead.