New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to Canada in December is set to mark an important step in strengthening bilateral relations, with the Indian community eagerly awaiting his arrival after his last visit to the country in 2015, Dinesh K. Patnaik, High Commissioner of India to Canada, said.
In an interview with IANS, Patnaik said the proposed visit comes amid renewed engagement between the two countries and growing cooperation across several areas.
He highlighted the enthusiasm among members of the Indian community, which numbers approximately three million according to Canada’s 2021 Census, saying he had received a constant stream of requests from people across different sections of the community asking when they would get to see the Prime Minister.
Here is the full interview:
IANS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Canada in December. How will this visit positively shape India-Canada relations?
Dinesh K. Patnaik: Over the past year, we have been working to restore our relationship to a very high level. The process began when Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, where he was invited by Prime Minister Mark Carney. The two leaders decided that both countries’ High Commissioners should return to their respective posts. Both High Commissioners resumed their assignments in September last year.
Since then, we have completed one year, and a great deal has happened. Prime Minister Carney visited India in February-March this year, and the two Foreign Ministers have met more than 12 times over the past year. We have also seen visits by Defence Ministers, Trade Ministers multiple times, the Energy Minister, the Minister of Natural Resources Canada, education delegations and, most recently, Canada’s National Security Adviser to India. All these things taken together, these developments have brought us to a stage where a visit by Prime Minister Modi is the logical next step.
Prime Minister Modi last visited Canada in 2015, so it has been quite some time. We are in the process of negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), and the fourth round of negotiations finished today, Friday. The talks have progressed rapidly.
When the two Prime Ministers met in Johannesburg in November last year, they agreed to conclude the negotiations within one year of their launch. I am confident that we will be able to complete them by November. We hope that when Prime Minister Modi visits Canada, we will be in a position to sign the CEPA.
In a nutshell, we have all the key elements of a comprehensive India-Canada partnership now in place, including security, economics, investment, trade, defence dialogue, aerospace, space, agri-foods, people-to-people ties and culture. All that makes the relationship strong.
Thanks to the excellent cooperation between both sides, led by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and, above all, both the Prime Ministers who have been leading from the front.
IANS: How have Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies and leadership shaped India-Canada relations over time?
Dinesh K. Patnaik: Without the Prime Minister’s encouragement and leadership, none of this would have happened.
I give full credit to both Prime Ministers: Prime Minister Carney for having the courage to invite Prime Minister Modi to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, and Prime Minister Modi for responding positively and taking the relationship forward.
When we both High Commissioners assumed our assignments, we received clear instructions from the highest levels of our respective governments to rebuild the relationship and make it stronger than before.
I do not think the relationship would be where it is today without the active encouragement, support and direction from the Prime Ministers of both countries.
IANS: The Indian community in Canada is substantial. How is it preparing to welcome Prime Minister Modi during his expected visit?
Dinesh K. Patnaik: According to Canada’s 2021 Census, the Indian community numbered approximately three million people. That is a significant figure in a country of around 42 million people. As per the 2026 Census, it would probably be more than that. The community has been waiting for Prime Minister Modi to visit Canada since 2015. Since my arrival, I have received a constant stream of requests from people across different sections of the community. Whether they are Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Sikh, or come from different regions of India, people from all walks of life, including researchers, students, academics and business people, everybody is asking when they will see Prime Minister Modi in Canada.
I am happy that the visit is being scheduled in December, and there is considerable excitement on the ground here. I have been inundated with requests from people hoping to meet him. With a community of three million people, it will obviously not be possible for the Prime Minister to meet everyone. However, we will explore ways to ensure that as many people as possible benefit from his visit.
IANS: India and Canada have agreed to deepen coordination on transnational crime, terrorism and extradition. How significant is this cooperation in combating terrorism?
Dinesh K. Patnaik: We have been working hard on these issues. When I arrived in India on September 18 last year, Canada’s National Security Adviser was also visiting India that week to hold discussions with her Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval. Similarly, NSA Ajit Doval visited Canada in February.
Since then, we have maintained intensive cooperation between the agencies of both countries, including law enforcement and intelligence agencies, as well as those dealing with drug smuggling, extortion and organised crime. All of these issues we have been tackling together.
There is growing trust between the two sides and a shared recognition that we can work together and coordinate more effectively. What is happening in Canada poses a threat to both Canada and India, and this understanding that this is a threat to both our countries has encouraged us to coordinate across several fronts. For me, this is one of the major achievements of the past year. By the time Prime Minister Modi visits Canada, I expect that we will have reached a very high level of coordination among the agencies of both countries.
IANS: National Security Adviser Ajit Doval recently held talks with David Morrison, a senior adviser to the Canadian Prime Minister. How do you assess the significance of this meeting?
Dinesh K. Patnaik: This was a very important meeting because coordination between the security agencies is fundamental to the relationship. David Morrison serves as a senior foreign policy adviser and is also one of Canada’s key national security officials. Coordination between the two countries’ national security leadership has provided the foundation for the relationship to move forward.
We wanted to address every problem and concern between the two sides. Security was a particularly important issue and lay at the heart of the difficulties in our relationship. We are now addressing it, and the national security-level dialogues have progressed very successfully.
We have established wonderful ways for coordination between the two countries. These include arrangements involving the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other relevant agencies, as well as cooperation on immigration, drug trafficking, extortion, organised crime, money laundering and related threats. The discussions have also covered cybersecurity and broader security concerns affecting both countries. I am confident that the recent engagement will further strengthen cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of both countries.
–IANS
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