NEW DELHI: India and Canada on Tuesday reviewed progress in bilateral security and law-enforcement cooperation, as the two countries work to deepen ties.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met David Morrison, Senior Diplomatic and International Affairs Advisor to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada’s G7 and G20 Sherpa. The meeting was part of the regular bilateral security dialogue at the NSA level.
"The two sides reviewed the state of security and law-enforcement cooperation and agreed to identify additional areas for cooperation,” sources said. The talks come as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to consolidate a reset in bilateral relations and advance negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The two sides have set an end-2026 target for concluding the pact, with officials indicating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could visit Canada in December if negotiations are completed in time.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu are also expected to travel to India in the coming days, adding momentum to the renewed engagement.
A series of dialogues of late follows a major deterioration in ties in 2023, when then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged a link between Indian government agents and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whom India had designated a terrorist. New Delhi rejected the allegation and accused Ottawa of failing to adequately address Khalistani extremist activity targeting India.
Relations began improving after a change of government in Ottawa and renewed high-level engagement between the two sides. Security consultations have since resumed, with cooperation focusing on areas including counter-terrorism, organised crime, drug trafficking and information sharing.
India and Canada will hold their fifth round of CEPA talks this month. Bilateral goods trade is currently estimated at around $8–10 billion each way, with both sides seeking greater trade and investment in areas including energy, critical minerals, agriculture and services.
