Modi to visit Canada as Carney looks to finalize trade deal with India by end of year

Prime Minister Mark Carney is seen meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 summit in France in June. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)Social SharingIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Canada in December, Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed on Tuesday.

Carney said the two countries are looking to reach a trade deal by the end of the year — a further sign that the once deep diplomatic chasm between the two governments is being bridged. 

"We're making good progress in our trade negotiations with India," Carney said on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

"It is an exceptionally important relationship, on many, many levels. People-to-people levels, security levels and also trade and economic."

Carney reopened trade talks with the Indian government late last year during the G20 summit as part of his overall plan to lessen economic reliance on the increasingly volatile U.S. administration.

He said the goal was to conclude negotiations by the G20 this year, set for mid-December in Miami. 

"[Modi] will be visiting Canada around that time," said Carney. "I very much look forward to hosting him."

The Carney government continues to scrutinize relations with India given the RCMP's past accusations that India's government is involved in homicides, extortion and threats on Canadian soil.

The two countries have been circling some kind of trade deal for years now, but diplomatic relations collapsed in the wake of the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., in June 2023. Four Indian nationals accused in the case are awaiting trial.

In September 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of playing a role in the Sikh activist's death. New Delhi has denied the accusations.

Last year, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Director Dan Rogers suggested the problem hasn't gone away, listing India as one of the main perpetrators of "transnational repression."

Carney has defended his push to repair the relationship, arguing Canada has established co-operation with Indian law enforcement and national security advisers as it pursues a trade deal. 

The Canadian side has said a deal with India, one of the fastest growing economies in the world, could double Canada-India trade to $70 billion.

Modi's December visit was first reported by the Globe and Mail.