New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he will attend the G7 summit in Canada this month after receiving an invitation from his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney during their first phone conversation.
Carney’s invitation to Modi to attend the outreach sessions of the G7 Summit signalled Ottawa’s intent to repair the ties with New Delhi that plummeted to an all-time low over the killing of a Khalistani separatist.
Prime Minister Modi accepted the invitation that came over a week before the summit of the influential grouping kicks off.
The summit will be held in Canada’s Alberta province from June 15 to 17.
It is learnt that the phone call was initiated by the Canadian side.
“Glad to receive a call from Prime Minister @MarkJCarney of Canada. Congratulated him on his recent election victory and thanked him for the invitation to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis later this month,” Modi said in a social media post.
“As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests. Look forward to our meeting at the Summit,” he said.
A Canadian readout said Modi and Carney discussed the longstanding relationship between Canada and India, including deep people-to-people ties and significant commercial links.
“Importantly, there was agreement to continued law enforcement dialogue and discussions addressing security concerns,” it said.
According to the note, Carney extended an invitation to Modi to attend the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.
The delay in the invitation to Modi triggered speculations about whether he would participate in the G7 summit. He had attended all five previous summits of the grouping.
“Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Modi agreed to remain in contact and looked forward to meeting at the G7 Leaders’ Summit later this month,” the statement added.
The India-Canada relations hit rock bottom following then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in 2023 of a potential Indian link to the killing of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In October last year, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case. India also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats.
However, Liberal Party leader Carney’s victory in the parliamentary election in April triggered hopes for a reset of the relationship.
In the last few months, the security officials of India and Canada resumed contacts, and both sides were looking at the possibility of appointing new high commissioners.
India had accused Trudeau’s government of allowing pro-Khalistani elements to operate from Canadian soil.
After Trudeau’s exit, New Delhi said it hoped to rebuild ties with Canada based on “mutual trust and sensitivity.”
“The downturn in India-Canada relations was caused by the license that was given to the extremist and secessionist elements in that country,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said in March.
The G7 comprises the US, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, and Japan.
At present, Canada holds the presidency of the G7 and is hosting the summit in that capacity.
The summit is expected to deliberate on pressing global challenges, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in West Asia.
