Latest news with #EarlyProgressTradeAgreement
Mint
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
India, Canada to revive trade talks as Modi meets Carney at G7; EU free trade pact likely by year-end
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday agreed to revive the stalled trade talks between the two countries. The two leaders met for the first time since Carney took office following Canada's recent elections. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, marked a step toward repairing a relationship that had seen several months of diplomatic chill. Both sides underscored the need to resume negotiations on the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA) and take it forward with the objective of concluding a broader Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), as per a press note issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Modi and Carney reaffirmed their commitment to shared democratic values and sovereignty, and agreed to restore normal diplomatic presence, including the early return of High Commissioners to each other's capitals, as per the PMO statement. They also highlighted the need to restart senior ministerial and working-level engagements to build trust and momentum, the PMO said in the statement. The leaders discussed expanding cooperation in areas such as clean energy, critical minerals, LNG, artificial intelligence, higher education, food security, mobility and digital transformation. Both the leaders reiterated support for a free and open Indo-Pacific and acknowledged the progress made at the G7 on global issues including climate action and sustainable growth. India-Canada relations took a sharp downturn in 2023 after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of involvement in the killing of a Khalistani separatist. India rejected the allegations as politically motivated and expelled Canadian diplomats, prompting reciprocal action from Ottawa. Bilateral ties froze, trade talks were paused, and visa services were briefly suspended. The recent meeting between PM Modi and new Canadian PM Mark Carney signals the first steps toward thawing the strained a separate joint press briefing with the President of Cyprus, Prime Minister Modi drew parallels between India's 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision and Cyprus's 'Vision 2035,' and called for a five-year roadmap to deepen bilateral ties. The two countries agreed to strengthen defence industry collaboration, initiate dialogues on cyber and maritime security, and set up a real-time information exchange mechanism to combat terrorism and cross-border crimes. Meanwhile, in a joint press briefing with the President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides, Modi reiterated that the India-EU FTA would be concluded by the end of this year. He had made a similar statement during his Cyprus visit on 16 June prior to the G7 Summit. Cyprus also reaffirmed its support for India's bid for permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council and agreed to enhance cooperation in defence, cyber and maritime security, as well as set up a mechanism for real-time intelligence sharing to counter terrorism, drug trafficking and arms smuggling. Modi said initiatives like the India-Cyprus-Greece Business and Investment Council and new mobility and air connectivity arrangements would help deepen economic linkages with the Mediterranean region.
Canada Standard
4 hours ago
- Business
- Canada Standard
PM Modi, PM Carney hold meeting, countries to see early return of High Commissioners to capitals: MEA
Kananaskis [Canada], June 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. Notably, this was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Canada's recent general elections. During the meeting, the leaders reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties and agreed to take constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, with the early return of High Commissioners to each other's capitals, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said in a statement on Wednesday. As per the MEA, the meeting between PM Modi and PM Carney provided an opportunity for both sides to hold frank and forward-looking discussions on the state of India-Canada relations and the way ahead. The leaders reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties, based on shared democratic values, respect for the rule of law and commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. They underlined the need to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for concerns and sensitivities, strong people-to-people ties, and growing economic complementarities. In a significant development, it was announced by the MEA in its statement that India and Canada 'agreed to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, beginning with the early return of High Commissioners to each other's capitals.' Notably, the leaders underscored the importance of restarting senior ministerial as well as working-level engagements across various domains to rebuild trust and bring momentum to the relationship. As per the MEA, PM Modi and PM Carney discussed opportunities for future collaboration in areas such as clean energy, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, LNG, food security, critical minerals, higher education, mobility, and supply chain resilience. They reaffirmed their shared interest in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific. The leaders also discussed the importance of restarting the stalled negotiations on the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), to pave the way for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). They agreed to task their respective officials to engage further in this regard. The leaders acknowledged the important progress made at the G7 Summit and the shared willingness to work constructively together on global priorities such as climate action, inclusive growth, and sustainable development. MEA noted in its statement that the leaders underlined the deep people-to-people connections between the two countries and agreed to leverage this living bridge to the benefit of both countries. They agreed to stay in touch and looked forward to meeting each other again at the earliest opportunity. The positive developments follows after tensions had escalated further when former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that his government had 'credible allegations' of India's involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023. India has strongly denied the allegations, terming them 'absurd' and 'motivated,' and has accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements. In the aftermath, India recalled six diplomats from Canada after they were declared 'persons of interest' by Canadian authorities investigating Nijjar's killing. Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. (ANI)
India Gazette
8 hours ago
- Business
- India Gazette
PM Modi, PM Carney hold meeting, countries to see early return of High Commissioners to capitals: MEA
Kananaskis [Canada], June 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. Notably, this was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Canada's recent general elections. During the meeting, the leaders reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties and agreed to take constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, with the early return of High Commissioners to each other's capitals, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said in a statement on Wednesday. As per the MEA, the meeting between PM Modi and PM Carney provided an opportunity for both sides to hold frank and forward-looking discussions on the state of India-Canada relations and the way ahead. The leaders reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties, based on shared democratic values, respect for the rule of law and commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. They underlined the need to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for concerns and sensitivities, strong people-to-people ties, and growing economic complementarities. In a significant development, it was announced by the MEA in its statement that India and Canada 'agreed to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, beginning with the early return of High Commissioners to each other's capitals.' Notably, the leaders underscored the importance of restarting senior ministerial as well as working-level engagements across various domains to rebuild trust and bring momentum to the relationship. As per the MEA, PM Modi and PM Carney discussed opportunities for future collaboration in areas such as clean energy, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, LNG, food security, critical minerals, higher education, mobility, and supply chain resilience. They reaffirmed their shared interest in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific. The leaders also discussed the importance of restarting the stalled negotiations on the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), to pave the way for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). They agreed to task their respective officials to engage further in this regard. The leaders acknowledged the important progress made at the G7 Summit and the shared willingness to work constructively together on global priorities such as climate action, inclusive growth, and sustainable development. MEA noted in its statement that the leaders underlined the deep people-to-people connections between the two countries and agreed to leverage this living bridge to the benefit of both countries. They agreed to stay in touch and looked forward to meeting each other again at the earliest opportunity. The positive developments follows after tensions had escalated further when former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that his government had 'credible allegations' of India's involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023. India has strongly denied the allegations, terming them 'absurd' and 'motivated,' and has accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements. In the aftermath, India recalled six diplomats from Canada after they were declared 'persons of interest' by Canadian authorities investigating Nijjar's killing. Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. (ANI)
United News of India
9 hours ago
- Business
- United News of India
India, Canada to reinstate High Commissioners after Modi-Carney meeting; resume FTA negotiations
Kananaskis (Canada)/New Delhi, June 18 (UNI) In a major step towards mending their strained ties, India and Canada have agreed to reinstate High Commissioners in their respective countries, following the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney, on the sidelines off the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada. The two leaders also underscored the importance of 'restarting senior ministerial as well as working-level engagements across various domains to rebuild trust and bring momentum to the relationship'. They also discussed the importance of restarting the stalled trade negotiations. Prime Minister Modi in a post on X, termed their meeting as an excellent one and added that the two prime ministers look forward to working closely to add momentum to the bilateral friendship. 'Had an excellent meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney. Complimented him and the Canadian Government for successfully hosting the G7 Summit. 'India and Canada are connected by a strong belief in democracy, freedom and rule of law. 'PM Carney and I look forward to working closely to add momentum to the India-Canada friendship. Areas like trade, energy, space, clean energy, critical minerals, fertilisers and more offer immense potential in this regard.' A readout said: 'This was the first in-person interaction between the two leaders since Prime Minister Carney assumed office following Canada's recent general elections. 'The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to hold frank and forward-looking discussions on the state of India-Canada relations and the way ahead. 'The leaders reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties, based on shared democratic values, respect for the rule of law. and commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. 'They underlined the need to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for concerns and sensitivities, strong people-to-people ties, and growing economic complementarities. In this regard, both sides agreed to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, beginning with the early return of High Commissioners to each other's capitals. 'The leaders underscored the importance of restarting senior ministerial as well as working-level engagements across various domains to rebuild trust and bring momentum to the relationship. 'The leaders discussed opportunities for future collaboration in areas such as clean energy, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, LNG, food security, critical minerals, higher education, mobility, and supply chain resilience. 'They reaffirmed their shared interest in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific. The leaders also discussed the importance of restarting the stalled negotiations on the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), with a view to paving the way for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). They agreed to task their respective officials to engage further in this regard. 'Both leaders acknowledged the important progress made at the G7 Summit and the shared willingness to work constructively together on global priorities such as climate action, inclusive growth, and sustainable development. 'The leaders underlined the deep people-to-people connections between the two countries and agreed to leverage this living bridge to the benefit of both countries. 'The leaders agreed to stay in touch and looked forward to meeting each other again at the earliest opportunity.' The Canadian PM in a post on X said of the meeting: 'I met with Prime Minister Modi today at the @G7 Summit. 'We reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties, based upon mutual respect and the rule of law, and discussed opportunities to partner for economic growth.' The Canadian readout said: 'Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties, based upon mutual respect, the rule of law, and a commitment to the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity. 'The leaders agreed to designate new high commissioners, with a view to returning to regular services to citizens and businesses in both countries. 'They discussed strong and historic ties between our peoples, partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, and significant commercial links between Canada and India – including partnerships in economic growth, supply chains, and the energy transformation. 'Prime Minister Carney raised priorities on the G7 agenda, including transnational crime and repression, security, and the rules-based order. 'The leaders also discussed opportunities to deepen engagement in areas such as technology, the digital transition, food security, and critical minerals.' UNI RN
