Modi presses for early trade deal as Canada's Anand holds talks in Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand on Wednesday that the two countries should turn the recent warmth in their relations into results, starting with an early end to talks on a free trade agreement.

Anand, on a working visit to New Delhi, also held talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during the day. Neither meeting produced a signed agreement, but both governments used it to signal that they want the steady run of high-level contact to start delivering.

A push on trade

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Modi and Anand discussed trade, science and technology, defence, security, energy, education and links between the two peoples, and exchanged views on regional and global developments. Modi stressed converting the momentum in ties into concrete outcomes, including an early conclusion of negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). He also sent his best wishes to Prime Minister Mark Carney, with whom he had spoken by phone a day earlier.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the fifth round of CEPA negotiations was held in Ottawa about a week ago and that both sides remain committed to a “mutually beneficial CEPA”. Officials on both sides have set the end of 2026 as the target to close the deal. Carney’s office has said the two leaders want to support a doubling of two-way trade by 2030.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal was also reported to have met Canada’s International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, who is leading a business delegation of about 300 people to India.

Talks with Jaishankar

The MEA said Jaishankar and Anand reviewed security and defence cooperation, energy, trade, education, science and technology, and work in multilateral forums. Both stressed “sustaining the momentum in high-level engagement between the two countries and translating it into tangible outcomes”, and spoke of a “constructive and forward-looking partnership”.

“Delighted to meet FM @AnitaAnandMP of Canada in New Delhi today,” Jaishankar wrote on X afterwards. “Guided by our leadership and sustained engagement across government and industry, we are advancing our Strategic Partnership.”

Anand said she was encouraged by the progress since she was last in Delhi a year ago. “The significance of this relationship lies in what our two countries can achieve together,” she wrote, pointing to the trade negotiations and wider cooperation on energy, innovation and security.

Where the visit goes next

The MEA described the trip as Anand’s third visit to India since June 2025. She arrived on Tuesday and travels on to the United Arab Emirates before ending the tour on 16 October.