PM Modi to visit Canada in December

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Tuesday that his country's leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be visiting Canada in December as both nations aim to finalize a trade agreement by the end of the year. Speaking at a news briefing in New York during the UNGA, Carney emphasized the exceptional importance of the India-Canada relationship, encompassing people-to-people, security, trade, and economic dimensions. He expressed his anticipation of hosting Modi during his visit.

Carney highlighted that the two countries are making significant progress in their trade negotiations. The Canadian government opened trade talks with India at the G20 summit in 2025, recognizing the thaw in diplomatic relations following the previous standoff. India, being one of the fastest-growing economies globally, has the potential to double Canada-India trade to $70 billion, according to the Canadian side.

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal revealed that India and Canada have agreed to expedite negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The next round of talks is scheduled to commence on October 5. Goyal reported that the fourth round of negotiations concluded productively in Mumbai, with both sides expressing their commitment to fast-track negotiations. The fifth round is set to begin on October 5, signifying the increasing pace of the negotiations.

The latest round of negotiations follows a renewed push by both countries to finalize a comprehensive trade pact. Canada had previously stated its objective to conclude the negotiations by the end of 2026, after relaunching discussions in March 2022. The two nations had pursued an Early Progress Trade Agreement as an interim step between 2022 and 2023.

Trade engagement between India and Canada saw a boost in 2025, with the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations scheduled to conclude by the end of 2026, as committed by both governments.