India and Canada Vow to Take Ties to New Level Amid Trade Talks

India and Canada are looking to elevate their relationship to new heights after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a productive discussion with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The two ministers met in New York, where they reportedly discussed ways to strengthen ties between the two nations. This comes after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Ottawa is making good progress in its trade negotiations with India, aiming to conclude talks by the G20 summit this year.

Carney also stated that Canada and India are expected to sign a free trade agreement, which would more than double bilateral trade to 70 billion Canadian dollars annually by 2030. The agreement is seen as a significant step towards normalizing relations between the two countries, which have been strained in recent years.

Jai Shankar also met with Venezuela Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia Gonzalez and Belarus Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov during his visit to New York. He stated that India's energy ties with these countries are gaining momentum, as well as other areas of bilateral cooperation.