India, Canada reaffirm trade deal target as officials hold foreign office consultations

The consultations were held at Hyderabad House, with India’s Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon leading the Indian delegation and Canada’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arun Thangaraj heading the Canadian side, according to Global Affairs Canada.

The two sides reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation across energy and critical minerals, science and technology, education, security and defense, culture, people-to-people ties, and consular matters.

Both countries reaffirmed the importance of their bilateral relationship, citing shared democratic values, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a commitment to the rule of law.

The consultations come amid renewed momentum in India-Canada relations, with both sides pointing to increased high-level engagement and progress in bilateral cooperation since June 2025.

A key focus was trade and investment. India and Canada reiterated their goal of completing the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations before the end of the year, with an ambition to more than double bilateral trade to C$70 billion (about ₹4.65 lakh crore) by 2030, according to Global Affairs Canada.

Photo: MEAIndia

The two countries also agreed to maintain institutional dialogue across key sectors as they seek to deepen economic and strategic cooperation.

The latest consultations mark another step in efforts by New Delhi and Ottawa to rebuild and expand bilateral ties across trade, critical minerals, energy, education, and security.