Jaishankar meets Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, bat for better bilateral ties

This was the first ministerial-level bilateral meeting in more than a year-and-a-half, as ties had come to a standstill since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s ill-fated visit to India in 2018.

The process of re-engagement between India and Canada commenced on Friday with a meeting between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his counterpart François-Philippe Champagne.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa (ANI)

This was the first ministerial-level bilateral meeting in more than a year-and-a-half, as ties had come to a standstill since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s ill-fated visit to India in 2018.

Issues such as Kashmir and the revocation of the state’s special status figured in the discussions. Trudeau met Jaishankar, who tweeted, “We agreed to raise the quality of our relationship and chart a path for the next 5 years.”

Indian officials are hopeful bilateral ties could be rejuvenated following Trudeau’s formation of a new minority government in October.