Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday in New Delhi, where the two leaders announced a series of agreements, including strategic energy cooperation.
The deals come as new allegations surface about the Indian government’s involvement in the killing of a Canadian Sikh activist.
“There has been more cooperation between the governments of Canada and India in the last year than there has been in more than two decades combined,” Carney said of the partnership with Modi.
“So this is not just a renewal of the relationship. It is an extension of a valuable partnership with new ambitions.”
The deals announced by Carney and Modi on Monday include a $2.6 billion deal in which Saskatoon-based Cameco will supply just under 22 million pounds of uranium to India for nuclear power, and two cooperation agreements covering topics including precious minerals and energy resources.
A government release says the visit also led to 10 commercial deals worth more than $5.5 billion.
The Carney-Modi meetings – with separate delegations followed by a 35-minute private meeting – took longer, leading to the cancellation of a lunch meeting with additional staff and a delay in the joint announcement.
Then a news conference with Carney, the first time the prime minister has answered questions from the media since the tour began Thursday, was canceled shortly before it began.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu held a press scrum at Carney’s compound.
The Carney government has been under pressure to clarify whether it believes India is still involved in foreign interference. The Globe and Mail newspaper published a report on Sunday afternoon about the alleged role played by Indian embassy staff in the killing of a Canadian Sikh activist three years ago.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an advocate for an independent Sikh state and president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, was killed in Surrey, BC, in June 2023.
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The Globe and Mail newspaper cited two anonymous sources who said Vancouver workers had provided information to help with the murder.
Anand said it would be “reckless” to talk directly about the RCMP’s active investigation while it is still ongoing.
The foreign minister said he raised the broader issues of Indian interference and foreign repression while meeting officials of the Modi government.
“There is an agreement between Canada and India to continue to ensure the safety and security of Canadians and we need to be at the table, we need to be involved, we need to have these diplomatic discussions to make progress like this,” Anand said.
“It is very important to remember that diplomacy is not about retreating and withdrawing from difficult discussions. It is about making sure that written words show the way forward for national security.”
A news release suggested that Carney raised the issue of foreign interference, saying the prime minister “stressed that Canada will continue to take steps to combat foreign interference.”
Anand repeatedly referred to that news release in response to numerous questions about the Nijjar investigation.
He also highlighted actions taken by the Canadian government, including listing the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organization, working to pass bail reform legislation aimed at dealing with increased extortion and expelling Indian officials by 2024.
During a press conference before the trip to India, a government official said that Canada is confident that interference with other Indian countries will not happen again.
This official said that Canada believes that India is still interfering in democracy, Carney will not take this trip.
Anand said Canada remains focused on protecting Canadian citizens and national security.
“The words big are not the words I will use myself, I agree with his comments about the instruments we have,” he said.
Earlier in the trip, Carney first announced that the two countries are working to sign a comprehensive trade agreement by the end of the year. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand also announced a new Canada-India strategy for talent and innovation, which includes 13 new partnerships between Canadian and Indian universities.
Carney arrived in India on Friday, the first visit by a Canadian prime minister since diplomatic ties broke down two years ago, after then-prime minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian government officials of involvement in Nijjar’s killing.
After Nijjar’s alleged death, RCMP said there was evidence of a wider campaign of intimidation and violence.
Carney is determined to reshape Canada’s relationship with India, inviting Modi to the G7 summit in Canada held last year.
In his remarks, Modi said Carney was responsible for the improved relationship.
“I give all the credit for this increased momentum in all areas of cooperation to my friend, prime minister Carney,” Modi said in a statement translated by the Indian government.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
