Syllabus :GS 2/IR
In News
- India decided to withdraw its High Commissioner and other affected diplomats and officials from Canada.
India-Canada Bilateral Relations
- Foundation of Ties: India-Canada relations are based on shared values of democracy, cultural diversity, economic engagement, and people-to-people connections.
- High-Level Exchanges: In 2015, PM Modi visited Canada, leading to multiple agreements.
- In 2018, Trudeau visited India, signing six agreements in various sectors.
- COVID-19 Cooperation: Leaders discussed vaccine collaboration and evacuation of stranded citizens.
- G-7 Meeting (2022): The two PMs met to enhance bilateral relations.
- G20 Summit (2023): Trudeau attended the summit in India and met Modi.
- Bilateral Mechanisms: Established dialogues in trade, energy, and foreign affairs, with recent consultations in 2023.
- Security Cooperation: Counter-terrorism efforts under a Joint Working Group established in 1997.
- Civil Nuclear Cooperation: An agreement signed in 2010 for peaceful nuclear energy uses, with implementation oversight by a Joint Committee.
- Energy Cooperation: Expanded Ministerial level Energy Dialogue since 2018 to include renewables.
- Space Collaboration: MoUs signed for satellite tracking and astronomy; ISRO has launched Canadian satellites.
- Economic Relations: Total bilateral trade in 2023 reached USD 9.36 billion, with significant service trade.
- Canadian investments in India exceed CAD 75 billion, with over 600 Canadian companies operating in India.
- Exports: Pharmaceuticals, electronic goods, jewelry, seafood, engineering goods.
- Imports: Minerals, pulses, potash, and chemicals.
- Science and Technology Cooperation: Multiple MoUs signed for research and technological collaboration.
- Education: Largest foreign student demographic in Canada is Indian, with around 427,000 students.
- People-to-People Relations: Canada has a significant Indian diaspora (approximately 1.8 million), contributing to its economy and society.
- Cultural Exchanges: Co-production agreements in films and joint initiatives between Canada Post and India Post.
- ICCR chairs established at various Canadian universities to foster cultural cooperation.
Diplomatic row
- In September 2023, Canadian PM Trudeau alleged Indian involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which India rejected.
- India advised its nationals in Canada and suspended visa services for Canadians.
- Visa Resumption: Services resumed in specific categories in October and e-visas for certain categories in November 2023.
- The Ministry of External Affairs said the “unsubstantiated allegations” sought to shift focus away from “Khalistani terrorists and extremists who have been provided shelter in Canada”.
- Concerns were raised about the safety of Indian diplomats, stating that the Trudeau Government’s actions contribute to an atmosphere of extremism and violence
Future Outlook
- The Government of India strongly rejects preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics
- India indicated it reserves the right to take further actions in response to what it perceives as the Trudeau Government’s support for extremism and violence against India.
Source:TH
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