Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi met for the first time at G7 Summit in Italy since Trudeau publicly accused India’s government of involvement in the assassination of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
During an interview on CBC News program Power and Politics, Trudeau while talking about G7 also referred to his brief meeting with Modi on the sidelines of the G7 summit. The Indian PM also tweeted out a photo of the meeting in which the two men appear serious and sombre as they shake hands.
Trudeau said that he sees a new opening to engage with India in the wake of that country’s election, which returned Prime Minister Narendra Modi to office for a third term.
He said there is “alignment on a number of big issues that we need to work on as democracies” and as a global community.
“Now that he’s through his election, I think there is an opportunity for us to engage, including on some very serious issues around national security and keeping Canadians safe and the rule of law,” Trudeau told David Cochrane, host of the
“I think one of the really good things about summits is you get an opportunity to engage directly with a huge range of different leaders with whom there are various issues,” Trudeau said. “And certainly with India, there are massive people-to-people ties, there are really important economic ties, there’s alignment on a number of big issues that we need to work on as democracies, as a global community.”
Trudeau’s comments assume significance in the light of a diplomatic stand-off between the two countries that emerged last year, after Trudeau alleged that Indian agents could have been involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal grouping of seven of the world’s advanced economies, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the European Union. The G7 is a forum designed for frank and open discussion between leaders, ministers and policy-makers.
In a spirit of shared responsibility, G7 welcomed the participation of the Leaders of Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, India, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritania, Tunisia, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates.
The role as host, also known as the G7 presidency, rotates annually among member countries in the following order: France, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada. Canada will next host the G7 in 2025 in Kananaskis, Alberta.
In Apulia, G7 leaders reaffirmed solidarity to support Ukraine’s fight for freedom and its reconstruction for as long as it takes. The supported the comprehensive deal that has been put forward that would lead to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and a credible pathway towards peace that leads to a two-State solution. Leaders also called for a significant and sustained increase in humanitarian assistance. The committed to engaging with African countries, in a spirit of equitable and strategic partnership.
