Ottawa / Kananaskis (Rajeev Sharma): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to arrive in Canada, marking the second leg of his three-nation tour following a diplomatic stop in Cyprus. His scheduled visit comes at a crucial time, just weeks after Operation Sindoor, India’s precision counter-terror operations targeting camps across the Pakistan border in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, many of them tourists.
PM Modi will soon be in Canada at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney to participate in the G7 Summit, scheduled for June 16–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta. This visit marks PM Modi’s sixth consecutive participation in the G7, reinforcing India’s growing stature in global decision-making forums.
Key Agendas: G7 Talks, Energy, AI, and Global South Priorities
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Prime Minister Modi will join leaders of G7 nations, invited outreach countries, and international organizations to deliberate on a wide range of global issues, including energy security, technology and innovation, the AI-energy nexus, and emerging quantum technologies.
“The Summit will provide a space for exchanging views on pressing global concerns and the priorities of the Global South,” PM Modi said in a departure statement issued on June 15.
Modi-Carney Bilateral: A Diplomatic Reset in the Making
On the sidelines of the Summit, PM Modi is also scheduled to hold a high-stakes bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. This will be the leaders’ first face-to-face interaction since Carney assumed office in March 2025, following the resignation of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Bilateral relations between India and Canada have remained strained over the past two years, primarily due to tensions stemming from the 2023 assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. However, Carney’s election signaled a shift, with the newly elected Prime Minister pledging to repair and reset ties with India.
Earlier this month, Carney personally called PM Modi to extend a G7 invitation, an exchange the MEA described as “constructive and forward-looking.” According to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, both sides are “exploring a path to reset the relationship based on mutual respect, shared interests, and sensitivity to each other’s core concerns.”
Intelligence Sharing and Trade Top Discussion Points
The upcoming bilateral is expected to include discussions on intelligence-sharing mechanisms, trade expansion, and new frameworks for cooperation in critical minerals and clean energy. Senior government officials from both countries are expected to participate in the dialogue.
“India and Canada are vibrant democracies, bound by a shared commitment to the rule of law,” Jaiswal emphasized, adding that the G7 sidelines meeting provides “an important opportunity to strengthen bilateral and global engagement.”
A Strategic Pivot
This visit not only positions Modi at the heart of global deliberations but also marks a strategic pivot in Indo-Canadian ties. For Carney, a former central banker turned political leader, restoring ties with India has been a campaign promise and a symbol of Canada’s new international posture.
Describing himself as “most useful in a crisis,” Carney is expected to leverage the Summit to demonstrate Canada’s leadership on climate resilience, AI governance, and economic diplomacy, with India playing a central role.
As global leaders gather in Alberta, all eyes will be on the evolving Modi-Carney dynamic and whether this summit can pave the way for a renewed era of cooperation between two of the world’s most influential democracies.
