Sovereignty, rule of law paramount in Canada on public safety, India and Canada addressing each other's security concerns: Anand

In an exclusive interview with TOI, Canadian foreign minister said the relationship with India is seeing an elevation, not a reset, while also stressing the significance of ongoing law enforcement and security dialogue. “Canadians have the right to feel safe and secure in our country,” said Anand, adding Canadian authorities will take their job of protecting diplomats very seriously.

The minister emphasised that Canada will have a twin-track approach to ties with India - law enforcement dialogue to address each other’s security concerns and enhanced cooperation at the same time in a range of areas from energy, trade, AI and climate change to people-to-people ties and business-to-business ties.

Excerpts:

How has your visit helped to carry forward the reset in the relationship?

I use the word elevate. We're moving our relationship to a stronger base. We're elevating the areas in which we are cooperating. We are making sure that we work together on law enforcement and security. In addition, in the joint statement, we're not only cooperating on issues relating to security, but we're also taking a bilateral cooperative effort on energy, on artificial intelligence, on agriculture, on issues relating to climate change and environmental sustainability. So, the joint statement is extremely important because it sets the framework for the work that both of our countries will be doing on a step-by-step basis going into the future. And if I could, I just want to underline the importance of the joint statement. There hasn't been a joint statement in recent memory, dating well before the pandemic between Canada and India. This joint statement itself is an indication of the cooperative spirit in which the two countries are moving, having recognition of the importance of the security enforcement dialogue. I came here to sign and finalise the joint statement, and that's exactly what we've done.

How can India and Canada work together in trade to offset likely damages from the US tariff war? Are you looking at restarting negotiations for a trade deal?

The first question relates to the changing geopolitical and trade environment that we are finding, generally speaking, in the world. And as a result of some volatility economically and in the area of trade, all countries are examining how they can increase their supply chains and reinforce their trading relationships. That is true for Canada. That appears to be true as well for India. This is a moment of introspection, in fact, to ensure that we domestically, from a Canadian standpoint, are doing whatever we can to further our links with other trading partners. That is occurring against the backdrop of our negotiations with the US, but recognising that we're the only G7 country that has a free trade agreement with every other G7 country, and we want to do more. The joint statement, therefore, represents the continued work that we will do on trade. And here I'm moving to your second question. The joint statement speaks of enhancing bilateral trade and cooperation in order to ensure greater economic growth and resilience.

And we're going to restart the Canada-India CEO Forum. We're going to commence ministerial-level discussions on bilateral trade and investment. And in that vein, I spoke not only with Minister Jaishankar today, but also Minister Goyal (commerce minister) on the trade side.

So you are not restarting talks for a trade agreement?

This is not restarting the FTA negotiations. This is affirming trade as a cornerstone of bilateral growth and resilience in trade. So you'll recall that what I said earlier this year was that Canada will be taking a systematic, step-by-step approach to ensuring that the relationship with India is on track while maintaining the security dialogue that is occurring at the official's level. And that's exactly what's happening.

On the security issue, India remains concerned about the activities of Khalistan separatists, safety and security of diplomats and seeks return of individuals it has designated as terrorists. Will Canada be more receptive to these concerns?

So, Canada is taking every step necessary to ensure the safety and security of Canadian citizens on Canadian soil. There is an RCMP investigation that is occurring. At the same time, we are having in place the law enforcement dialogue with India. And that is a dialogue that is ongoing. My deputy minister, David Morrison , as well as Nathalie Drouin (national security and intelligence advisor) was here in India just a few weeks ago to continue that conversation with India. It's ongoing. It's based on a cooperative view that law enforcement is an important issue, and that's why it is mentioned not only in the joint statement. In addition to that, we need to examine the other areas where the Canada-India relationship can grow. And that's why we're talking about trade, AI, energy, climate, and people-to-people ties, as well as business-to-business ties.

How has the probe in the murder of a Khalistan separatist in 2023 progressed? PM Carney said in June both sides have agreed to have law enforcement dialogue recognising “issues of accountability”. How is this dialogue going?

The purpose of the law enforcement dialogue is to ensure that each country is able to put its concerns on the table so that they are addressed by the other country. I can speak from the Canadian standpoint. First, regardless of political views, sovereignty and the rule of law are going to be paramount in Canada in terms of public safety. Second, the RCMP has a responsibility to protect diplomats from all countries, and they take this job very, very seriously. Canadians have the right to feel safe and secure in our country, and that is the purpose of the law enforcement dialogue that we are continuing.

When you say you will follow a step-by-step approach with India, are you linking the rebuilding of ties to progress in the investigations?

So, it's important to think of this occurring on two tracks. The first track is the law enforcement dialogue that is occurring between officials from both countries on an ongoing basis. And I will add that these are senior officials that are charged with ensuring that the law enforcement concerns of each country are tabled and addressed. That will continue. The second track is the contents of the joint statement over and above security, enforcement, and cooperation. In addition to the security dialogue, we're elevating the number of areas in which Canada and India are working, from energy to trade to AI to climate change to people-to-people ties and business-to-business ties.

Is PM Carney likely to visit India anytime soon, maybe for the AI summit?

There are no confirmed dates for any visit from our PM at this point. I want to say, however, that he was very pleased to welcome PM Modi to Kananaskis in June 2025. And the rapport between the two leaders is strong and they are looking forward, from my understanding, to meeting again soon.