Carney says G7 featured ‘very frank exchanges’ as summit ends, following early exits by Trump, Zelenskyy

Canada and India to designate new high commissioners

The Prime Minister’s Office has released a readout from Carney’s earlier meeting with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on the sidelines of the G7 summit.

According to the PMO, the two leaders “reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties,” the “rule of law,” and “the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

While not explicitly stated, talk of the “rule of law” could be a thinly veiled reference to Canada’s longstanding request that the Indian government co-operate with Canadian police and their investigation into the murder of B.C. Sikh activist and Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Similarly, the mention of “territorial integrity” could have been Modi raising Indian concerns about Canadian Sikhs who are advocating for an independent Khalistan.

Nijjar and others in that movement have been calling for an independent Sikh homeland in northern India called Khalistan, which Modi’s government has vigorously opposed and denounced as a national security threat.

The two leaders also agreed today to begin rebuilding diplomatic and consular relations.

Carney and Modi will designate new high commissioners, “with a view to returning to regular services to citizens and businesses in both countries.”

While there has been domestic criticism of Carney’s decision to invite Modi to this summit — particularly from some in the Sikh community — the prime minister justified the invite by saying he wanted the world’s most important leaders on hand to discuss major issues. He also signalled he wants to expand economic ties with the world’s fourth largest economy.

To that end, the two leaders agreed to “deepen engagement,” particularly in areas such as technology, the digital transition, food security and critical minerals, according to the PMO readout.