Prime Minister Mark Carney met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday, where the two leaders announced several agreements, including a strategic energy partnership.
The deals come as fresh allegations of Indian government involvement in the killing of a Canadian Sikh activist emerge.
“The past year has seen more than two decades of engagement between the Canadian and Indian governments,” Carney said in a joint statement with Modi.
“So this is not just a renewal of the relationship. It is an extension of a valued partnership with new ambition.”
The deals announced by Carney and Modi on Monday include a $2.6 billion deal in which Saskatoon-based Cameco will supply India with just over 22 million pounds of uranium for nuclear power generation, and two memorandums of understanding covering matters including critical minerals and energy sources.
The visit resulted in 10 commercial deals worth more than $5.5 billion, a government release says.
The Carney-Modi meetings — bilateral meetings with respective delegations followed by 35 minutes of private one-on-one time — ran protracted, canceling a lunch meeting with additional staff and delaying the joint announcement.
A news conference with Carney later, the first time the prime minister was set to answer questions from the media since it began on Thursday, was canceled before it began.
External Affairs Minister Anita Anand and International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu held a media scrum at Carney’s place.
The Carney government is under pressure to clarify whether it still believes India is engaging in foreign interference. The Globe and Mail published a report late on Sunday about the role of Indian consular staff in the killing of a Canadian Sikh activist three years ago.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, advocate for an independent Sikh homeland and president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, was killed in June 2023 in Surrey, BC.
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The Globe and Mail cited two anonymous sources who said consular staff in Vancouver provided information to help with the assassination.
Anand said it would be “irresponsible” to speak directly about an active RCMP investigation going on.
The foreign minister said that when Modi met government officials, he raised the broad issues of Indian foreign interference and repression across the country.
“There is an agreement between Canada and India to ensure the safety and security of the Canadian population and we have to be at the table, we have to be engaged, we have to have these diplomatic talks to make this kind of progress,” Anand said.
“It’s important to remember that diplomacy is not about backing down and holding yourself back from difficult conversations. It’s important to make sure the written word is marking the path to national security.”
A news release indicated that Carney had raised the issue of foreign interference, with the prime minister stressing that “Canada will continue to take steps to counter international repression.”
Anand repeatedly referred to that news release in response to multiple questions about the Nijjar investigation.
He pointed to steps taken by the Canadian government, including listing the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity, increasing extortion and working to implement a bail reform law aimed at expelling Indian diplomats in 2024.
During a backstage briefing with reporters before the India tour, a senior government official expressed Canada’s confidence that Indian foreign interference will no longer occur.
Carney will not make the trip, the official said, adding that Canada believes India is still interfering with its democracy.
Anand said Canada is focused on protecting Canadian citizens and national security.
“The senior officer’s words are not words I would personally use. I agree with his comments regarding the guardrails we have in place,” he said.
In an earlier trip, Carney announced for the first time that the two countries were working to sign a comprehensive trade agreement by the end of the year. External Affairs Minister Anita Anand announced the new Canada-India Strategy on Talent and Innovation, which includes 13 new partnerships between Canadian and Indian universities.
Carney landed in India on Friday, the first visit by a Canadian prime minister since diplomatic ties were severed two years ago after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian government agents of involvement in the Niger assassination.
Following the allegations surrounding Nijjar’s death, RCMP said there was evidence of a widespread campaign of intimidation and violence.
Carney has set out to reset Canada’s relationship with India by inviting Modi to the G7 summit hosted by Canada last year.
In his remarks, Modi attributed the improved relationship to Carney.
“I give full credit to my friend, Prime Minister Carney, for this growing momentum in every area of cooperation,” Modi said in remarks translated by the Indian government.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
(tags to translate)India(T)Mark Carney(T)Narendra Modi(T)Canada(T)Economy(T)Politics(T)World
