Modi at G7: Canada Makes Cautious Start to Heal Ties with India

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Canadian PM Mark Carney Holds Phone Call with Indian PM Narendra Modi Amid Tensions

By TRH News Desk

NEW DELHI, June 6, 2025 – Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the G7 Summit in Kananaskis later this month. Carney sought to steer bilateral relations with India to normalcy even while cooperation on “security issues” were mentioned during the phone call.

G7 Summits for past seven years have maintained India connections in an apparent admission of the strength and importance of the Indian economy for the grouping consisting of seven most industrialized nations.

“Glad to receive a call from Prime Minister Carney of Canada. Congratulated him on his recent election victory and thanked him for the invitation to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis later this month,” Modi said in a post on X on Friday evening.

Signalling that a thaw in strained relations is being worked out, Modi also noted that “as vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests.”

Carney’s predecessor and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations against India of involvement in the killing of Sikh activist Harjeet Singh Nijjar had sent the India-Canada relations into an abyss. India had recalled its high commissioner and expelled several Canadian diplomats from New Delhi.

Incidentally, Carney spoke to Modi for the first time after he led incumbent Liberals to retain power in Canada. But the poll verdict decimated NDP, a party led by Sikh leaders, and also strengthened Liberals numerically.

Canadian media underscored the tension in the bilateral relations between India and Canada in their coverages of the phone call of Canadian Carney with Modi. They noted that the phone call today marked a “significant diplomatic engagement amid strained bilateral relations.”

According to Canadian media reports, the conversation touched on key issues, including an invitation to the upcoming G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, and ongoing security concerns.

CBC News reported that Modi acknowledged the call, expressing gratitude for Carney’s invitation to the G7 Summit later this month. The outlet noted that this would be Modi’s first visit to Canada since the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) accused the Indian government of involvement in acts of murder, extortion, and coercion on Canadian soil.

“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited him to the G7 summit later this month in Alberta,” CBC News stated, highlighting the diplomatic overture despite recent tensions.

The Canadian Press reported that the two leaders agreed “to continued law enforcement dialogue and discussions addressing security concerns” during the call. This comes in the context of Canada’s allegations against India, which have strained ties since last year. The outlet emphasized that Carney’s invitation to Modi signals an effort to maintain open channels of communication despite the serious accusations.

While the conversation included congratulations from Modi on Carney’s recent election victory, as reported by multiple sources, the underlying tensions were not ignored. The Globe and Mail, in its coverage, underscored the delicate nature of the call, noting that Canada has been pressing India on security issues, particularly following the RCMP’s claims. The newspaper described the dialogue as “a cautious step toward engagement” but warned that “significant hurdles remain in restoring trust between the two nations.”

The call follows a brief exchange between Modi and former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in Laos last year, where Trudeau emphasized the importance of addressing “real issues” with India, according to CPAC. Today’s conversation, however, suggests a willingness to navigate the complex relationship through high-level diplomacy.

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