Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney will arrive in India on February 26 in the first leg of his three-nation visit to the Indo-Pacific, the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced on Monday.
The visit comes as Carney works to repair India-Canada ties that had deteriorated under his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, and to advance a bilateral trade agreement with New Delhi, said reports.
The PMO said Carney will work “to unlock new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses across trade, energy, technology, and defence”.
The PMO added, “Through these visits to three of Canada’s strongest Indo-Pacific partners, the Prime Minister will deepen regional ties that are critical to our security and prosperity.”
Since Carney assumed office last year, India and Canada have resumed high-level engagements, restored ambassadors to each other’s capitals, and restarted dialogue on security and trade. Last year, the two countries agreed to launch negotiations for a trade deal.
Talks With Modi to Focus on Trade, AI, Defence
According to the PMO, Carney will begin his India visit in Mumbai before heading to New Delhi, where he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The discussions with Modi will “focus on elevating and expanding the Canada-India relationship” in areas such as trade, energy, technology and artificial intelligence (AI), talent and culture, and defence, the PMO said.
Carney will also meet business leaders to identify investment opportunities in Canada and build new partnerships between the two countries.
Canada is aiming to more than double bilateral trade with India to $70 billion by 2030 under the proposed trade agreement.
Diversifying Trade Amid US Tariff War
Carney’s outreach comes as US President Donald Trump’s tariff war has hit Canada particularly hard. In response, Carney has been strengthening ties with Europe and the Indo-Pacific to diversify Canada’s trade and reduce dependence on the United States.
The expansion of global partnerships is also seen as an effort to reinforce Canada’s political position amid what Ottawa describes as a coercive campaign by Trump, who has declared he would annex Canada and make it the 51st American state.
Last year, India, Canada and Australia launched a trilateral technology and innovation partnership aimed at strengthening cooperation in critical and emerging technologies and diversifying supply chains.
India–Canada Ties See Gradual Reset
After Mark Carney assumed office, relations between India and Canada have shown signs of gradual stabilisation following a period of diplomatic strain under his predecessor.
Both sides moved to restore ambassadors to each other’s capitals and resumed high-level political and official engagements. Dialogue on trade, security cooperation and people-to-people ties has restarted, with the two countries agreeing to revive negotiations toward a comprehensive trade agreement.
Ottawa has signalled interest in expanding cooperation in areas such as clean energy, critical minerals, technology and education, while New Delhi has emphasised mutual respect and sensitivity to core concerns as the basis for rebuilding trust.
Australia, Japan Visits to Focus on Security and Investment
In Australia, Carney will visit Sydney and Canberra for talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The discussions will focus on defence and maritime security, critical minerals, trade, and advanced technologies, including AI. Carney will also address both Houses of the Australian Parliament.
He will meet business leaders and investors to attract new capital into Canada and promote two-way trade and investment, the PMO said.
In Japan, Carney will meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo “to strengthen mutual investment and partnerships in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, critical minerals, and food security”, the PMO said.
Carney and Takaichi will also discuss enhancing joint efforts on security and defence, including support for a free and open Indo-Pacific, the PMO added.
