Modi accepts Canadian PM Carney's invitation to G-7, promises 'renewed vigour' in ties

The Hindu

15 hours ago

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will represent India at the upcoming G-7 summit in Canada next week, he confirmed on Friday (June 6, 2025), after he was invited by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during a telephone call. The visit to Canada, Mr. Modi's first since 2015, could mark a reset in ties after years of tensions over Khalistani separatists targeting Indian diplomats and the killing of Canadian and Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which the previous Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had blamed Indian government agents for.
The invitation for India as a guest invitee for the G-7 summit to be held in Kananaskis, Alberta province of Canada could also herald the restoration of India and Canada's diplomatic presence in each other's capitals, where both sides expelled High Commissioners, stopped visas temporarily and cut staff strength drastically in 2023 and 2024. In October 2024, India and Canada also expelled each other's deputy High commissioners, over further charges in the Nijjar case, and spying respectively. This month also marks two anniversaries - 40 years since the bombing of the Air India 'Kanishka' flight on June 23, 1985 by Khalistani separatists in Canada, and two years since the killing of Nijjar on June 18, 2023 near Toronto, and both governments would have to work around each other's sensitivities during the visit.
Glad to receive a call from Prime Minister @MarkJCarney of Canada. Congratulated him on his recent election victory and thanked him for the invitation to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis later this month. As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 6, 2025
Announcing the visit, Mr. Modi said his meeting with Mr. Carney would give ties 'renewed vigour'.
'As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests. Look forward to our meeting at the Summit,' said PM Modi in social media post, adding that he had thanked Mr. Carney for the invitation to the G-7 and congratulated him on his recent victory in Canadian elections.
Mr. Modi's attendance at the G-7, that he has been to every year as a special invitee since 2019, will also give him the opportunity to meet other Western leaders from member countries such as the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Japan and Germany, for the first time since Operation Sindoor. In particular, Mr. Modi will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, after a strain in ties over Mr. Trump's repeated assertion that he mediated to end the four-day conflict between India and Pakistan, a claim the Ministry of External Affairs has denied consistently. Ahead of a possible meeting of Mr. Modi with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Canada, which would be their first since India and U.K. finalised a Free Trade Agreement, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy is due in Delhi for a one-day visit on Saturday, and will meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
Quad partner Australia as well as leaders of BRICS countries Brazil and South Africa are also expected to be special invitees at the summit. Mr. Modi is likely to travel to Brazil next month, where he will share the stage with leaders of Russia and China and other members at the BRICS summit in Rio.
At the G-7, all eyes in India will be on the meeting with the Canadian PM, and whether ties can be restored after the bitterness, particularly of the last two year between them. In 2024, Mr. Trudeau's government had suggested restoring High Commissioners, and the Canada's Foreign Ministry, called 'Global Canada', had forwarded the name of Canadian diplomat Christopher Cooter for the post. However, New Delhi had given Ottawa no response. This year, the Ministry has named India's Ambassador to Spain Dinesh Patnaik for the High Commissioner's post in Ottawa, and it remains to be seen whether both sides will now agree to exchange diplomats at the High Commissioner and other levels.
The invitation to Mr. Modi comes after some speculation that Canada would not invite the Indian PM given the relationship at present, and the very short notice, with just over a week to go for the Summit added to the surprise of the announcement. However, officials explained that Mr. Carney took over as PM only on April 29 this year after winning polls where he defeated the conservative party considered the frontrunner in elections. The Ministry declined to comment on whether the upcoming G-7 had been discussed during a call between the new Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Mr. Jaishankar on May 29. It is understood that while the governments had discussed the issue through interlocuters in recent weeks, a formal invitation for special invitees was only sent on Friday.