A restored friendship! | Editorial on India-Canada Relations

The Indian government is poised to make full use of its G20 chairmanship. There are signs of a new chapter in India-Canada bilateral relations, which continue to be volatile.
It is very rare for a foreign minister of another country to make a state visit to India twice within a month. Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie met the Indian Foreign Minister last month, but now she is back to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting. Both his visits have brought down the severity of many issues between the two countries and brought understanding.
With many issues arising in Canada’s relationship with China, it is not surprising that India-Canada relations have become closer. This closeness is closely watched internationally as the visit of Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie will be followed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to the G20 summit.
Last November, Canada unveiled its new Indo-Pacific plan. Canada mentions India as an important partner in democracy and diversity. At the same time, it portrays China as an internationally influential power. Another reason for the rapprochement with India is Canada’s plan to reduce its economic ties with China and seek new markets.
India maintains seamless trade relations with various countries. With the agreements already in place with the United Arab Emirates and Australia, India is keen to establish similar trade ties with Canada. Officials are working to announce initial moves for trade ties this year. The talks between Melanie Jolie and Jaishankar have given hope that the two countries will soon sign an integrated economic friendship agreement.
After three years of planning, Canada announced the Indo-Pacific project. Canada is the last G7 country to release an Indo-Pacific plan. There were a few reasons for that. In December 2018, Canada arrested a key official of Chinese telecommunications company Hawaii. This was followed by a rift in the state’s relationship with China. The piracy epidemic and the Ukraine-Russia war have forced Canada to align its policies with Western powers, including the United States.
“Because India is a member of the ‘Quad’ alliance, Canada considers it to be the most important country in its Indo-Pacific project. That is why Canada has embarked on efforts to improve friendly relations between the two countries by eliminating differences. But it is not going to be easy.
Canada was one of the countries that cooperated with India’s nuclear energy programs in the early days. After the 1974 nuclear tests there was a loosening of that relationship. While the friendship blossomed again in 1980, Canada gave asylum to a group of Khalistani and in 1985 the downing of an Air India flight by terrorists in Canada again affected the rapprochement.
The nuclear cooperation agreement was signed in 2010 during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Canada. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit in 2015 brought the friendship back to normal.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited India on an official visit in 2018. India did not do him due respect as he brought with him a Khalistani supporter.
The Canadian Prime Minister’s comment that the Modi government did not handle the farmers’ agitation properly in 2020-21 brought the diplomatic relations between the two countries to a standstill. It should be noted that Justin Trudeau made the announcement to garner support from Sikhs living in Canada.
The friendship has blossomed again as a result of the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau at the G7 summit in Germany last year. Both leaders feel that the presence of pro-Khalistan Sikhs in Canada is affecting the relationship between the two countries.
Not only are Indians immigrating to Canada in large numbers, students are also increasingly going there for higher studies. It is against this background that the current friendly efforts are being made. Henceforth, the relationship between the two countries should continue without imbalance is welcome.