Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand has arrived in India for talks designed to accelerate a broad-based partnership covering trade, energy, security and defence, as New Delhi and Ottawa intensify efforts to strengthen ties after a period of renewed diplomatic engagement.

Her discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will centre on priorities identified in the bilateral roadmap, including economic cooperation, mobility, energy collaboration and stronger people-to-people connections. The meeting represents their 11th engagement since September 2025, reflecting increasingly frequent high-level contact.

A key objective of the visit is to maintain momentum in negotiations for the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The fifth negotiating round is already underway, with both governments aiming to finalise the agreement by the end of 2026. Critical minerals, aerospace and energy have emerged as major pillars of the proposed economic partnership.

Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu is accompanying the Canadian delegation, which includes almost 300 business leaders. The mission, Canada's largest commercial delegation to India in more than three decades, is focused on securing opportunities in clean energy, technology, life sciences, aerospace, agri-food and forestry.

Ottawa has set an ambitious goal of increasing bilateral trade with India from approximately $30 billion to more than $70 billion by 2030. Official figures show total two-way trade reached $30.4 billion in 2025, highlighting the growing economic significance of the relationship.

During her stay in New Delhi, Anand will also attend the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, where she is expected to outline Canada's view of middle-power cooperation in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment and reinforce Canada's commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.

The visit forms part of a wider regional tour that concludes in the UAE, where Anand will meet senior political and business leaders to discuss trade, artificial intelligence, innovation, security and defence cooperation.

Collectively, the India and UAE engagements reflect Canada's broader strategy of expanding economic partnerships and strengthening strategic relationships across the Indo-Pacific and Middle East.

ANI