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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held a telephonic conversation with his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, focusing on bilateral ties and regional developments.
Good to speak with FM Anita Anand of Canada this evening, on our bilateral cooperation as well as on the Ukraine situation, EAM Jaishankar stated on X. The discussion followed the annual Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held earlier this month in New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) noted that the dialogue built upon the steady progress observed in bilateral relations over the past year. The Indian delegation during the September 2 talks at Hyderabad House was headed by MEA Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon, whereas the visiting Canadian delegation was led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arun Thangaraj. "The FOC was held against the backdrop of sustained momentum in the bilateral relationship, reflected in the pace of high-level exchanges and progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation since June 2025. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties, anchored in shared democratic values, respect for principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and joint commitment to the rule of law," read a statement issued by the MEA. "The two sides reviewed progress of various institutional mechanisms, including in energy and critical minerals, science and technology, education, security and defence cooperation, culture, people-to-people ties and consular matters. Both sides welcomed the progress made in strengthening institutional engagement and dialogue between the two governments," it added. Furthermore, both nations expressed their resolve to finalise the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement before year-end, targeting a bilateral trade volume of CAD 70 billion/INR 4.65 lakh crore by 2030. This diplomatic engagement aligns with recent economic outreach. Last month, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman underscored the potential for enhanced financial collaboration during the India-Canada Business Roundtable in Toronto, alongside Canadian counterpart Francois-Philippe Champagne. "FM Sitharaman highlighted the fresh momentum in IndiaCanada economic engagement and called for translating it into deeper financial-sector cooperation and long-term investment partnerships," the Ministry of Finance said. (ANI)
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