Trudeau's India visit: Won't tolerate challenge to our unity, says PM Modi

After an eventful and controversial week in India, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met Indian counterpart Narendra Modi here on Friday. The two sides signed six agreements.

However, the bonhomie of hugs between Trudeau and Modi, and pictures of the Canadian PM, wife and three children couldn’t overcome some frostiness between the two sides because of Trudeau and his party’s support to Khalistani groups in Canada.

In his speech at the joint media conference after delegation-level talks, Modi didn’t mince words about the pro-Khalistan approach of his Canadian counterpart. Modi said those challenging India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity cannot be tolerated. The PM said there cannot be any place for those who misuse religion for political motives and promote separatism.

India and Canada signed agreements to deepen cooperation in higher education, information communication technology and electronics, intellectual property rights, renewable energy, sports and science and technology. Modi said Trudeau and he agreed to deepen defence cooperation.

Apart from the customary joint statement, the two sides also signed a framework for cooperation on counter-terrorism and violent extremism. The framework said the two countries would work together to neutralise, among other groups, threats from Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation. The framework stated was based on fundamental respect for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of India and Canada. The joint statement recognised the “importance of civil society groups as a mainstay of democratic societies.” The two sides resolved to “intensify” negotiations to finalise a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and Bilateral Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement. 

It said India and Canada would work closely together to finalise an arrangement by 2018 to enable the export of Canadian pulses to India. Modi and Trudeau agreed to expand the scope of the Canada-India Ministerial Energy Dialogue to additionally include electricity, energy efficiency and renewables, and also welcomed the cooperation in civil nuclear energy sector.

India and Canada agreed to expand security cooperation through institutionalisation of National Security Advisor-level dialogue and regular convening of foreign minister-level strategic dialogue.

Modi and Trudeau also expressed “strong concern” about recent developments in the Maldives and its implications on free society. They urged the Maldivian government to ensure early resumption of the political process after revoking the state of emergency.

Earlier in the day, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj met the Canadian PM.