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Canadian High Commissioner Christopher Cooter noted India and Canada are moving towards "renewed trust", advancing collaboration in priority areas and taking steps aimed at boosting shared prosperity.
Speaking at an event in the capital on Wednesday, he stressed that the two countries had the "tools, resources and the talent" to shape a relationship that would be not just resilient but "transformative". Building on this, he pointed to recent high-level engagements that have set the tone for the current momentum. Cooter referred to the recent meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the recent G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, following their earlier interaction at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis. During these discussions, both leaders welcomed the New Roadmap for India-Canada relations unveiled in October and agreed to begin negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), shaping the framework for the next phase of cooperation. According to him, the CEPA represents an important signal for the trajectory of the bilateral partnership, with the potential to open new avenues for businesses, accelerate cooperation in emerging technologies and bolster the resilience of supply chains. He underscored that this aligns with India's broader growth ambitions. He said Canada was prepared to serve as a dependable partner as India seeks to achieve its growth objectives for 2030 and beyond. This readiness, he noted, is reflected in the strong economic engagement between the two countries. Bilateral trade stood at USD 22 billion in 2024, with both sides aiming to reach USD 50 billion by 2030. Canada is looking to step up investments in clean technologies, AI, quantum computing, aerospace and advanced manufacturing, sectors it sees as pathways to employment, economic security and long-term sustainability. These areas of interest tie into the broader push for next-generation cooperation. Cooter also pointed to the launch of the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation Partnership (ACITI), calling it an initiative that adds a strong international element to ongoing collaboration. He noted that this complements bilateral efforts by expanding multilateral innovation channels. He said India and Canada could now move ahead by using the October roadmap to strengthen supply chain security and accelerate innovation in critical industries; rely on resumed free trade discussions to support economic and technology cooperation; develop joint programmes ranging from clean energy to climate-resilient agriculture to confront global challenges while fostering shared prosperity; and widen academic linkages and talent mobility while keeping people-to-people ties at the core of the relationship. (ANI)
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