India and Canada have agreed to resume discussions on a free trade deal as the prime ministers of both nations met on the sidelines Group of 20 summit in South Africa on Sunday. This marks the latest sign of warming relations between India and Canada.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney decided to “begin negotiations on a high-ambition Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA),” according to a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
Meanwhile, in a post on the social media platform X, the Prime Minister’s Office wrote, “PM @narendramodi had a very productive meeting with PM @MarkJCarney of Canada. The two leaders welcomed the strong momentum in bilateral ties and agreed to advance cooperation in trade, investment, technology, innovation, energy, education, defence and space.”
Details of CEPA
The proposed deal aims to double bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030. Both sides reaffirmed their longstanding civil nuclear cooperation and noted the ongoing discussions on expanding collaboration, including through long-term uranium supply arrangements.