Modi to visit Canada in December as trade talks advance, Carney confirms

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Canada in December, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed on Tuesday. Carney said the two countries were making "good progress" on a new trade agreement, signaling a further thaw in bilateral relations.

He made the announcement while speaking to reporters at the United Nations in New York.

Is Modi visiting Canada?

Yes. Modi is expected to visit Canada around mid-December, Carney said, as the two governments work to finalize a new trade deal. Carney confirmed the trip while discussing progress in trade negotiations during his remarks in New York on Tuesday.

Why did India-Canada relations break down?

Relations between India and Canada effectively collapsed following the 2023 killing near Vancouver of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh activist who campaigned for a breakaway state called Khalistan.

Canada's then-prime minister, Justin Trudeau, publicly accused India of involvement in the assassination, a charge denied by New Delhi. Both countries expelled a string of diplomats in 2024 as the dispute escalated.

What has Mark Carney said about the visit?

Carney, who replaced Trudeau last year, has pushed for a reset in ties, arguing that Canada needs access to India's large market to diversify its trade relationships and reduce dependence on the United States.

"We are making good progress in our trade negotiations with India. It is an exceptionally important relationship on many, many levels," Carney told reporters. He said he and Modi had targeted the middle of December to finalize the trade deal, adding that he looked forward to hosting him.

Carney has faced criticism over what opponents call a softer stance toward Modi's government, which Trudeau had said bore direct responsibility for the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. Carney visited India in March, saying Canada wanted a "strategic partnership" with what he called "the fastest-growing major economy and a powerhouse of global commerce and technology."