PM Modi congratulates Canada’s Justin Trudeau for election win
“Congratulations Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau on your victory in the elections! I look forward to continue working with you to further strengthen India-Canada relations, as well as our cooperation on global and multilateral issues,” Modi tweeted as he embarked on a visit to the US
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on his victory in the general election, saying he looked forward to strengthening bilateral relations.
“Congratulations Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau on your victory in the elections! I look forward to continue working with you to further strengthen India-Canada relations, as well as our cooperation on global and multilateral issues,” Modi tweeted as he embarked on a visit to the US.
Trudeau, who has been in power since 2015, and his Liberal Party are set to win the most seats in Canada’s Parliament but are expected to fall short of the 170-seat threshold for a majority.
US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are also among world leaders who have congratulated Trudeau, who has been governing with a minority in the House of Commons since 2019.
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Relations between India and Canada have been strained in recent years over a range of issues. Ties nosedived during a disastrous visit to India by Trudeau in 2018 and have never really recovered since then.
At the time, the Indian side was upset by perceived links between members of Trudeau’s cabinet and pro-Khalistan elements in Canada. New Delhi also believed these members of the Canadian cabinet had interfered in the Indian government’s outreach to pro-Khalistan elements.
More recently, Trudeau had angered the Indian side when he said in December 2020 that his government had conveyed its concerns over a protest by Indian farmers against new farm laws to New Delhi. He had said that Canada will “always stand up for the right for peaceful protest and for human rights around the world”.
The external affairs ministry had dismissed Trudeau’s remarks as “unwarranted”. The ministry also summoned Canadian envoy Nadir Patel and told him the remarks on the farmers’ protest had the potential to “seriously” damage bilateral ties.
