New Delhi, September 20. Senior officials from India and Canada held pre-Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in New Delhi on September 19 as part of efforts to restore stability and momentum in bilateral ties.
According to a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry, the Indian delegation was led by Secretary (East) P Kumaran, while Canada’s team was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison. The talks build on the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis in June this year.
During the discussions, the two sides reviewed the state of India-Canada relations and exchanged views on regional and global issues. Both delegations reaffirmed the importance of strengthening ties grounded in shared democratic values, rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Officials also welcomed progress made since the June summit, including the return of high commissioners to their respective capitals.
As part of the understanding reached between the two Prime Ministers, the delegations agreed to revive bilateral dialogue mechanisms across a broad spectrum – ranging from trade, defence and energy to civil nuclear cooperation, security and law enforcement, critical minerals, space, science and technology, and agriculture. They also agreed to address capacity-related challenges at missions and consulates to better support growing economic opportunities and people-to-people linkages.
In addition to the pre-FOC meeting, Morrison held a separate interaction with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
