Horrendous, no room for barbarity in democratic societies: Italy Dy PM Tajani on Pahalgam attack
Expressing concern over the 'horrendous' terrorist attack against tourists in Pahalgam, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has conveyed Italy's commitment against terrorism as 'unshakable' and willingness to cooperate in the fight against terrorism.
On the rapport between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, Tajani, in an interview to The Indian Express, said it is 'undoubtedly based on a good chemistry, and on a similar approach: the pursuit of the national interest without ideological prejudices'. He referenced the hashtag '#melodi' and said he viewed promising complementarities at the root of the close ties between Italy and India.
The Italian Deputy PM, who visited India on April 11 and 12, also spoke about the deliverables in cooperation across sectors, including defence.
India just witnessed a terrorist attack in J&K's Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed. What is your comment?
I was struck by the horrendous terrorist attack that took place in Pahalgam, targeting civilians, especially tourists.
The Italian government and the whole country immediately expressed their closeness to the families of the victims, the people of India and your institutions. Italy's commitment against terrorism is firm and unshakable.
This is also what PM Meloni conveyed to PM Modi in the conversation they had. We are ready to cooperate in the fight against terrorism. The principles of freedom and tolerance that uphold our democratic societies admit no room for barbarity.
And this tragedy came just as the world was mourning the loss of Pope Francis. The Pontiff has also been a protagonist of international politics. What is his legacy and the message he leaves to world leaders?
The importance of peace and the centrality of the human being. Until his last moment, in his last Easter homily, Pope Francis has continued to believe in and work for peace. He has always highlighted the suffering that war, all wars, inflict especially to the weakest ones, to women, to children. The message he leaves is that leading is serving. That the human being must remain at the centre, as he underscored at the Italian G7, talking about the potential but also the risks of artificial intelligence. As former President of the European Parliament, I also remember the importance he attached to the role Europe can play, especially in times of crisis.
You just visited India. Let's talk about the bilateral relations: How are India and Italy proceeding on the roadmap agreed in November last year?
My visit to Delhi was meant to give further impetus to many areas of cooperation identified in the Joint Action Plan signed by the two Prime Ministers only five months ago. Starting with political dialogue, of course. We focused also on economy – both trade and investments – space and defence, energy transition, culture, sport, science and technology. We put a special emphasis on innovation. My commitment is to strengthen and broaden our strategic partnership, also in the perspective of the IMEC initiative. The Indo-Mediterranean corridor is actually the contemporary version of the ancient trade route connecting Rome to India at the time of Emperor Augustus. Ours is a centuries-old friendship.
What were the key takeaways from the visit?
More than 700 delegates, almost 500 companies, over 400 B2B meetings. Italian companies announced new investments for 470 million euros. Governmental agencies – Investindia, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and SIMEST – signed an MOU to spur further investments.
SIMEST, the joint stock company helping our enterprises grow abroad, opened an office in Delhi. It can now count on a 500 million euros line of financing dedicated to operations in India. Our export-credit agency SACE increased its 3 billion euros in guarantees for Indian buyers by additional 200 million euros.
We will create 'Innovit Bangalore ', a centre to facilitate synergies between innovation ecosystems. We will propose an acceleration programme in India for start-ups. The business forum was such a success that we will repeat it soon. Together with Minister (Piyush) Goyal, we will deepen the economic dialogue in Brescia, near Milan, one of the most important industrial hubs in Italy. The Forum for Growth will involve companies from the two countries. Save the date: June 5th in Brescia.
There were also some deliverables in the areas of science, sport and culture.
We had a science dialogue between universities, research centres and Indian counterparts, including the best IIT, to explore complementarities in all the main scientific sectors. A Space Attache will be posted to our Embassy in Delhi and our governments will soon hold a bilateral space dialogue. A second Scientific Attache will also join the Italy team in India, operating from the Consulate General in Bengaluru. We have signed two agreements with your Ministry of Science. They will foster joint initiatives and mobility of researchers in key areas such as biomedical robotics, green energy, AI, quantum, and gene therapy, among others. I was pleased to highlight the great potential of further India-Italy dialogue in culture, sport, food and wine. Together with the Minister for External Affairs Dr Jaishankar, we unveiled Caravaggio's 'Magdalene in Ecstasy' at the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre in Delhi – the first time ever in India for a giant of universal art like Caravaggio. I also inaugurated the 'Mosaic' exhibition at the Humayun's Tomb Museum: an immersive journey through 2000 years of history and a fascinating display of ancient Roman mosaics. 'Fabrica' is another exhibition, at Crafts Museum, showcasing craftsmanship and innovation in the Italian textile sector. And sport, which is a key part of our culture. We launched the 'Common goal' initiative'. It will take coaches from the Italian football league Serie A clubs to teach football to children from underprivileged backgrounds in several cities in India. We have a collaboration programme (in the opposite direction) also in cricket.
We brought starred chefs to highlight the candidature of the Italian cuisine to the UNESCO patrimony. Finally, the main Italian news agency announced the opening of ANSA-India, a portal dedicated to your country, and decided to open a full-fledged office in Delhi.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor was launched during PM Meloni's visit for the G20 summit in 2023. What's the update on IMEC, and the impact of the conflict in the Middle East?
IMEC is for us a strategic and visionary project. It will make a crucial contribution to strengthening Indo-Mediterranean connectivity and trade, enhancing exchanges, investments and data flows. But it can also have a positive impact on the peace process in the Middle East. We have just nominated a special envoy for IMEC: Ambassador Talo, former Diplomatic Advisor to Prime Minister Meloni. And I intend to convene a Foreign Ministers' meeting in Trieste engaging the countries along the IMEC corridor.
Italy had long been a defence partner, how has the defence relationship progressed in the last few years?
Over the last two years, we witnessed an increase in the number of port calls. We have had four ships of our Navy stationed at Indian docks since 2023 and one more is due to arrive soon. In December last year, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy Urso visited Mumbai on the occasion of the port call of Nave Vespucci. In February this year, Undersecretary of Defence Perego was in Bengaluru for the AeroIndia defence fair. Direct contacts between defence companies are ongoing. The latest ones have unfolded at the Business Forum in Delhi and in the margins of the Joint Defence Committee in Rome, with the visit of your Secretary Defence. We intend to give continuity to this dynamic dialogue. Our Defence Minister also intends to visit India. The goal is to identify co-development and co-production projects, taking advantage of synergies between our defence industries.
How do you see the US administration led by President Donald Trump's imposition of universal tariffs playing out in the world?
We are not in favour of hasty reactions and escalation of measures. A trade war does not benefit anyone. This is our position within the EU, which has exclusive competence on tariffs and trade. Prime Minister Meloni's meeting with President Trump was a decisive step towards strengthening Italy's relationship with the US and resuming together a path of cooperation that will consolidate America's relations with all of Europe.
The US is our ally and an indispensable partner. Our government is working for a concrete relaunch of relations with Washington. The issue of tariffs must be carefully addressed but without panic. We are convinced that the solution lies in negotiation and not in frontal opposition. market.
How does the rapport between PMs Modi and Meloni impact the bilateral ties?
The relationship between our leaders and governments is very good. It is undoubtedly based on a good chemistry, and on a similar approach: the pursuit of the national interest without ideological prejudices. Besides #melodi, at the root of the Italy-India close relationship I rather see structural and promising complementarities. We are both democracies, heirs to millenary-old civilisations. We are nations rich in culture and at the heart of a common region, the Indo-Mediterranean, set to become evermore integrated.
Italy strongly supports the conclusion of the FTA. Especially nowadays, with high tariffs, the signature of the Agreement would be an important game changer for the cooperation between two important economic blocs like the EU and India, which can exploit all the unexpressed potential of their trade and industrial partnership. India is a strategic market for Italian companies and exports. But to reach the agreement, both sides need to show flexibility.
Immigration is an issue in Italy, does that impact mobility of Indians to Italy?
No, it does not. We precisely signed a bilateral agreement on mobility and migration with India to encourage the circulation of talent and avoid irregular migration, which benefits neither the countries of origin nor the countries of destination. In Italy, we host an important community of citizens of Indian origin, perfectly integrated in our economy and society. Our goal is to further improve the professional level of Indian integration of Indian talents, if they wish to come live and work in our country. The mobility agreement is the ideal tool to make it happen.
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Until the inauguration of the Pathankot-Jammu line in 1975, the railway station nearest to Jammu and Kashmir was Pathankot in Punjab. — In 1983, work began on a railway line between Jammu and Udhampur. This 53-km line was supposed to be completed in five years, but ultimately took 21 years. With work still underway, the central government announced, in 1994, the extension of this line from Udhampur to Srinagar, and onward to Baramulla. — This was the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project, which was approved in March 1995 at an estimated cost of Rs 2,500 crore. In 2002, the USBRL was declared a national project, and sections of the line became operational over the years that followed. — The USBRL is finally complete now —272 km of tracks built at a cost of Rs 43,780 crore, passing through 36 tunnels and over 943 bridges, bringing Katra and Srinagar within 3 hours of each other. 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The easing in CPI has been driven by the sustained fall in food prices. — Economists said that with inflation remaining below the 4 per cent target in the last three months (February, March and April), and a sharp fall in food inflation, CPI is likely to durably align with the 4 per cent target over a 12-month period, paving the way for further rate cuts. — Under the flexible inflation targeting (FIT) framework, the RBI has been mandated by the government to maintain CPI at 4 per cent with a band of +/-2 per cent. — Further, the RBI had estimated the GDP growth to be at only 6.5 per cent in the current fiscal at a time when the trade tariff issues with the US have created some uncertainty on the economic front. — As the Repo rate has been reduced by 50 bps, all external benchmark lending rates (EBLR) linked to it will decline by a similar margin. 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Select the correct answer using the code given below : (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 3 only (d) 2 and 3 only Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Issues relating to poverty and hunger What's the ongoing story: With the World Bank raising its threshold poverty line to $3 a day (daily consumption of less than $3) from the earlier $2.15 a day, the extreme poverty rate for India declines sharply to 5.3 per cent in 2022-23 from 27.1 per cent in 2011-12. In absolute terms, people living in extreme poverty fell from 344.47 million to just 75.24 million, latest data from the World Bank shows. Key Points to Ponder: — What is the poverty line? — What is poverty? — What is extreme poverty? — How is poverty estimated in India? — What are the reasons for poverty in India? — What are the initiatives taken by the government to tackle poverty? — What is the status of India in the World Bank's multidimensional poverty index (MPI)? — What is the status of poverty in India according to NITI Aayog? — Learn about: Alagh Committee (1979), Lakdawala Committee (1993), Tendulkar Committee (2009), and Rangarajan Committee (2014) Key Takeaways: — At $2.15 daily consumption — the earlier poverty line based on 2017 prices— the share of Indians living in extreme poverty is 2.3 per cent, which is significantly lower than 16.2 per cent in 2011-12, according to the World Bank's estimates. The number of people living below the $2.15-per-day poverty line is recorded at 33.66 million in 2022, down from 205.93 million in 2011. — Despite the World Bank revising its extreme poverty line to adjust for global inflation in 2021 prices, India seems to have fared well, with the poverty numbers holding good. At $3 a day threshold, India's extreme poverty rate for 2022-23 rises from 2.3 per cent (at a poverty line of $2.15 a day) to 5.3 per cent, the World Bank estimates. — Adjusting the earlier $2.15-per-day line for domestic inflation from 2017 to 2021, according to sources, brings the threshold poverty line to roughly $2.60—still lower in real terms than the new $3 a day benchmark. — The share of Indians living below the revised lower-middle-income category (LMIC) poverty line of $4.20 per day (from $3.65 in 2017 prices) also fell from 57.7 per cent in 2011-12 to 23.9 per cent in 2022-23. — The World Bank estimates India's population at 1438.07 million in 2023, using its World Development Indicators database and the official Household Consumption Expenditure Survey. — According to the World Bank's multidimensional poverty index (MPI), non-monetary poverty in India declined from 53.8 percent in 2005-06 to 15.5 per cent in 2022-23. The index comprises six indicators, namely consumption or income, educational attainment, educational enrolment, drinking water, sanitation, and electricity. The NITI Aayog has estimated that India's population living in multidimensional poverty fell to 11.28 per cent in 2022-23 from 29.17 per cent in 2013-14. Do You Know: — According to the World Bank, poverty is 'pronounced deprivation in well-being'. The poor are those who do not have enough income or consumption to put them above some adequate minimum threshold. It is not only about the absence of financial resources but also the deprivation of various dimensions of life. — The 2024 Multidimensional Poverty Index was published on 17th October on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme. It was first launched in 2010. — The Global MPI uses 10 indicators covering three main areas: (i) health, (ii) education, and (iii) standard of living. These three dimensions have one-third weight each in the final index. — NITI Aayog in collaboration with the UNDP and OPHI developed the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) in November 2021 that offers a multi-dimensional perspective on poverty. It uses the internationally acclaimed Alkire Foster methodology with the difference that National MPI covers 12 indicators while global MPI covers 10 indicators. — Six official committees have so far estimated the number of people living in poverty in India — the working group of 1962; V N Dandekar and N Rath in 1971; Y K Alagh in 1979; D T Lakdawala in 1993; Suresh Tendulkar in 2009; and C Rangarajan in 2014. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍International Day for Eradication of Poverty: Understanding poverty debates in India 📍Knowledge Nugget of the day: Global Multidimensional Poverty Index Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (5) In a given year in India, official poverty lines are higher in some States than in others because (UPSC CSE 2019) (a) poverty rates vary from State to State (b) price levels vary from State to State (c) Gross State Product varies from State to State (d) quality of public distribution varies from State to State Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: Though there have been several different estimates of poverty in India, all indicate reduction in poverty levels over time. Do you agree? Critically examine with reference to urban and rural poverty indicators (UPSC CSE 2015) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment What's the ongoing story: Eyeing long-term conservation and research projects, the National Zoological Park (NZP) in Delhi is exploring the possibility of setting up an on-site wildlife biobank in collaboration with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad. Key Points to Ponder: — What is the power and function of CZA? — What is a Zoological Park? — What is a biobank? — What are endangered species? — How is a zoological park different from a botanical park? — What is the purpose of preserving DNA, tissues, organs, and gametes of endangered or vulnerable species? — What is the role of Zoological Parks in Ex-situ Conservation and Wildlife Protection in India? Key Takeaways: — The proposed facility is expected to collect and preserve genetic material — DNA, tissues, reproductive cells — from animals at the zoo. The initiative is part of a broader effort led by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to strengthen ex-situ conservation in Indian zoos. — The biobank at the zoo in the Capital is expected to follow a model already implemented at the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling, which became the first to establish such a facility under the initiative earlier this year. — While the process is in its early stages, officials involved in the project said the proposed biobank in the city could contribute to building a national repository of genetic material for conservation science. — In 2021, the Delhi zoo was among six zoos that had been identified by the CZA to join the Consortium of Indian Zoos for Biobanking of Wildlife Genetic Resources under a pilot project. — The programme was built on a tripartite agreement signed in 2019 between the CZA, CCMB-LaCONES (Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species), and the selected zoos. — Under this agreement, zoos, including Delhi's NZP, have been encouraged to collect biological samples from deceased animals, as well as from live animals during health interventions, for submission to the National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank (NWGRB) at the CCMB's laboratory. — As per the October-December 2024 quarterly inventory report of the National Zoological Park, it is home to several endangered species listed under Schedules I and II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. — These include the Asiatic Lion, Bengal Tiger, Indian Elephant, Indian Rhinoceros (Greater One-Horned Rhino), Sloth Bear, Lion-tailed Macaque, Indian Wolf, Indian Bison (Gaur), Dhole (Asiatic Wild Dog), Eld's Deer, Four-horned Antelope, Himalayan Black Bear, Marsh Crocodile, Gharial, Indian Rock Python, and Spectacled Cobra. — At present, samples collected from zoos are sent to the CCMB facility in Hyderabad. According to officials, this has posed logistical challenges. 'Bringing samples to the CCMB facility after postmortem is a challenge. They need to be preserved within four hours. That's the reason for the need for localised facilities,' Dr Govindha-swamy Umapathy, Chief Scientist, the CCMB, told The Indian Express. Do You Know: — Biobanks are of immense importance in the conservation of critically endangered species. With environmental change and other factors many species of animals may go to the brink of extinction. The aim is to store the cells and the germ plasm (genetic material) of such animals that if needed the species could be brought back to life again. — According to the website of the CZA, the Indian Board for Wildlife re-constituted its Zoo Wing as 'the Expert Group on Zoos' at its 9th session held on 18th November, 1972 at New Delhi to make detailed study for setting up and maintenance of zoos in the country. — The report recommended setting up of a central agency (Zoo Grants Commission), and to give effect to this recommendation, the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 was amended through an amendment Act in the year 1991. — A separate chapter, Chapter IVA contain Section 38 A to 38 J was added to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 for establishment of the Central Zoo Authority in India. — Accordingly, the Central Zoo Authority was established as a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment & Forests by the Government of India in the year 1992. The Authority consists of a Chairman, ten members and a Member Secretary. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Remember Jurassic Park — in a first in the country Darjeeling Zoo gets 'bio bank' to collect DNA materials Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (6) Consider the following statements: 1. CZA is a statutory body established in the year 1995. 2. CZA consists of the Chairman, ten members and a Member Secretary. Which of the following statements is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 1 Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-I: Salient features of the world's physical geography General Studies-II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate; India and its neighbourhood- relations. What's the ongoing story: The Foreign Ministers of Central Asian countries Friday unequivocally condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and stressed that the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terror acts must be held accountable and brought to justice. Key Points to Ponder: — What is the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism? — What is the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)? — What is the strategic significance of Chabahar Port? — What are the areas of cooperation between India and Central Asian Countries? — What is the India-Central Asia Rare Earth Forum? — What is the significance of Central Asia for rare earth minerals? — What is the significance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation? — Know the geographical location, water bodies surrounding these countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan Key Takeaways: — External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hosted the India-Central Foreign Ministers dialogue, which took place after more than three-and-half years. — 'They stressed that perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice. In this context, they called for early adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism,' it said. — The ministers, as per the statement, reiterated their 'strong support for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan which is free from terrorism, war and drugs… The Ministers agreed to continue close coordination and consultations on matters related to Afghanistan'. — Earlier in the day, Jaishankar appreciated the Central Asian nations that 'stood by India and condemned the heinous terrorist attack' while reaffirming that it would be a 'trusted development partner' for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. — According to the joint statement, 'The ministers emphasized optimum usage of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to enhance connectivity between India and the Central Asian countries' while 'India reiterated its support for the membership of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in INSTC'. — As per the statement, they also 'expressed interest in joint exploration of rare earth and critical minerals. Appreciating the outcomes of the first India-Central Asia Rare Earth Forum held in September 2024 in New Delhi, they called upon the relevant authorities to hold the second India-Central Asia Rare Earth Forum meeting at the earliest convenience. Do You Know: — Engagement with Central Asia The Silk Route connected India with Central Asia from the 3rd century BC to the 15th century AD. From the export of Buddhism to the lasting influence of Bollywood, India has shared old and deep cultural ties with the region. — In 1955, during a 16-day visit to the erstwhile Soviet Union, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru travelled to Almaty, Tashkent, and Ashgabat, all of which became capitals of newly-independent countries after the 1991 collapse of the USSR. — Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in 1992, and Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan in 1995. In 2003, Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the first Prime Minister to visit Tajikistan; he had travelled to Kazakhstan in the previous year. Manmohan Singh visited Uzbekistan in 2006, and the Kazakh capital Astana in 2011. — Focussed engagement began with the 'Connect Central Asia policy' in 2012, which received a fillip with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to all five Central Asian countries in July 2015 — the first by an Indian Prime Minister. — Central Asia is extremely rich in mineral and natural resources. Kazakhstan has one of the biggest reserves of uranium, besides stores of coal, lead, zinc, gold, and iron ore. The Kyryz Republic is rich in gold and hydro-power, and Turkmenistan has one of the world's largest reserves of natural gas. Tajikistan has huge hydro-power potential and Uzbekistan has gold, uranium, and natural gas. — For India, engagement with the Central Asian countries is important because of a range of reasons — security cooperation after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan; to counter China's influence in the region; plans for connectivity with Europe including the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC); to meet its energy needs (Turkmenistan is part of the proposed TAPI gas pipeline); and for reasons of old cultural links and trade potential. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍India's Central Asia outreach Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (7) Consider the following pairs: (UPSC CSE 2019) Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched? (a) 1, 2 and 4 only (b) 1, 3 and 4 only (c) 2 and 5 only (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
India central to key supply chains; must be part of G7 discussions: Canadian PM Carney
India is the fifth largest economy in the world and it is central to a number of critical global supply chains, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said, arguing that the leadership of the country must be part of discussions at the upcoming G7 summit. Mr. Carney's comments came after some of his political opponents in Canada criticised him for inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in view of a probe into allegations of Indian links to the killing of a Khalistani separatist in 2023. Also read | Will PM update his Canadian counterpart on India's economy status: Congress takes dig at PM Modi Prime Minister Modi accepted Mr. Carney's invitation to attend the G7 summit during a phone conversation on Friday. Canada is hosting the G7 summit in the Alberta province from June 15 to 17 in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping. To a specific question on the case of killing of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023, Carney told reporters that it is not appropriate for him to comment as the legal process in the case is underway. The Canadian Prime Minister said the G7 summit will deliberate on a range of key issues including energy security, digital future, critical minerals and on partnerships in building infrastructure in the emerging and developing world. Mr. Carney suggested that he extended the invitation to Mr. Modi after talking to other G7 member countries. "There are certain countries that should be at the table for those discussions," he said when asked why PM Modi was invited when there have been allegations of Indian links to the Nijjar case. "India is the fifth largest economy in the world; effectively the most populous country in the world. [It is] central to a number of those supply chains; [it is] at the heart of a number of those supply chains, so it makes sense," he said. Without elaborating, Mr. Carney noted that India and Canada have agreed to continue law enforcement dialogue. "Bilaterally, we have now agreed importantly to continue law enforcement dialogue. There has been some progress on issues of accountability," he said. Canada's NDP party slammed Mr. Carney for extending the invitation to Mr. Modi. "This decision is profoundly troubling," it said. The India-Canada relations hit rock bottom following then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in 2023 of a potential Indian link to the killing of Nijjar. In October last year, India recalled its High Commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case. India also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats. However, Liberal Party leader Mr. Carney's victory in the parliamentary election in April triggered hopes for reset of the relationship. In the last few months, the security officials of India and Canada resumed contacts and both sides were looking at the possibility of appointing new high commissioners. India had accused Trudeau's government of allowing pro-Khalistani elements to operate from Canadian soil. After Trudeau's exit, New Delhi said it hoped to rebuild ties with Canada based on "mutual trust and sensitivity".
