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