Amidst the thawing India-Canada relationship, PM Narendra Modi will have his second meeting of the year with counterpart Mark Carney on the margins of the G20 summit in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Both sides had finalised the meeting weeks in advance as they look to rebuild the relationship that was crushed by the killing of a Khalistan separatist in 2023 for which Canada blamed Indian authorities.
Despite the pressure on Carney to seek accountability from India, he has worked to reset the relationship since June this year, when he invited Modi for the G7 meeting Canada hosted and had a bilateral meeting with him on the sidelines. The two countries, as foreign minister Anita Anand put it during her visit to India last month, elevated the relationship, with a joint statement that listed several steps to normalise ties, including through trade discussions.
Anand, however, has also stressed that the outcome of such efforts will be contingent on the law enforcement and public safety dialogue between the two countries. The joint statement sought a constructive relationship based on mutual respect for rule of law and a commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
