OTTAWA, Canada — In a move aimed at further strengthening relations between India and Canada, India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh K. Patnaik, met Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to discuss expanding cooperation across multiple sectors, including energy, trade, agriculture, technology, research, and people-to-people ties.
The Indian High Commission said Patnaik and Smith held extensive discussions on deepening collaboration. “Honored to meet Premier Danielle Smith. We had an excellent discussion on key aspects of our bilateral partnership — energy, trade, agriculture, technology collaboration, research, and people-to-people ties. Great potential ahead to elevate our relationship through fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial cooperation,” the mission quoted Patnaik as saying.
Following the meeting, Premier Smith posted on X that Alberta has “deep and growing ties with India,” noting that the province can play a key role in supporting India’s energy needs, supplying agricultural products, and fostering technological partnerships.
“With a strong Indo-Canadian community here at home and Indian companies already investing in Alberta, there is huge potential ahead,” she wrote, adding that Alberta is “open for business and ready to be a long-term partner in India’s growth.”
The engagement came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg on Sunday. Modi said India and Canada have set a goal of increasing bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030.
“We appreciated the significant momentum in our bilateral ties since our earlier meeting during the G7 Summit hosted by Canada. We agreed to further advance our relations in the coming months,” Modi posted on X.
He added that Canadian pension funds are showing growing interest in Indian markets.
In his own post, Carney said he and Modi launched negotiations toward a trade agreement that could expand bilateral trade to more than $70 billion. He noted that India, as the world’s fifth-largest economy, offers major opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers. (Source: IANS)
