Kananaskis, June 18 (IANS) India’s participation in the G7 Summit as an invitee is a “testament” to the importance of India on the world stage and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, according to Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney.
At the start of their bilateral meeting here on Tuesday, Carney said that Inda’s participation is also important for tackling together the fight against terrorism.
Prime Minister Modi said that he was grateful to Carney for inviting him to the G7 Summit, adding that “it is my honour to visit Canada once again after 2015 and be present with the people here”.
He also added that India is the world’s largest democracy and while holding the presidency of the G20 Summit New Delhi has taken several positive initiatives for the world, and in the G7 Summit today, the strong foundation which India had set during the G20 Summit has taken a new shape and given new direction in its execution in the G7 summit and this comes as an opportunity for India to work for humanitarian good for which it is always committed to today as well as in the future.
PM Modi also added: “India and Canada have excellent relations. Canadian companies are investing in India and Indian people have in the same way invested in the great soil of Canada. Both countries are committed to preserving democratic values, strengthening democracy and humanity as well optimisation of our resources for serving humanitarian good. I congratulate Canadian Prime Minister for his historic victory in the general elections held earlier this year and look forward to working closely with you in your term serving as Prime Minister of Canada.”
He also said in a post on his official X account: “PM Carney and I look forward to working closely to add momentum to the India-Canada friendship. Areas like trade, energy, space, clean energy, critical minerals, fertilisers and more offer immense potential in this regard. @MarkJCarney.”
PM Modi posted on X that their meeting was excellent and Canada and India “are connected by a strong belief in democracy, freedom and rule of law”.
India has been at the G7 Summits starting with the Biarritz meeting in France in 2019, Carney said.
“It’s a testament to the importance of your country, to your leadership, and to the importance of the issues that we look to tackle together,” Carney said while welcoming PM Modi.
These issues, he said, range “from energy security, from the energy transition that you’re hoping to lead, to the future of artificial intelligence to the fight that we have against transnational repression… against terrorism… and against other factors”.
Carney is trying to reset relations with India that was frayed under his predecessor and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who under the influence of Khalistanis made accusations against India.
PM Modi said on his official X account, “PM Carney and I look forward to working closely.”
When, as the President of the G7 and the host of the Kananaskis Summit, Carney renewed his invitation to PM Modi, he said, “India is the fifth-largest economy in the world, the most populous country in the world and central to supply chains.”
Canada has one of the largest diasporas with 1.8 million Indo-Canadians and one million Indian citizens.
–IANS
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