G20 Summit: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau to visit India on September 9, 10

He will arrive in Delhi on September 9 after attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Jakarta and a bilateral visit to Singapore

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be in India on September 9 and 10 for the G20 leaders’ summit, the Canadian PMO release said.

This will be Trudeau’s first trip to India since February 2018. (AP file photo)

According to the release, the Canadian PM will be in the national Capital New Delhi on September 9 and 10.

He will arrive in Delhi after attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Jakarta and a bilateral visit to Singapore.

“While in the Indo-Pacific region next week, the Prime Minister will reaffirm Canada’s commitment to strengthening economic co-operation and removing trade barriers to create good middle-class jobs and make life more affordable for people on both sides of the Pacific. He will also work with his counterparts to strengthen ties between our peoples and drive climate action,” the release said.

There is no confirmation if Trudeau will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit, a senior official aware of the details, said it was likely that all heads of delegations to the G20 summit will have the opportunity to interact with Modi.

“However, the format of such interactions will be decided later and on case-to-case basis,” the official added.

Last week, Trudeau had expressed disappointment over the fact that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not invited to the intergovernmental forum G20’s summit in New Delhi while assuring the latter that they will speak up strongly and continue to ensure the world is standing with Ukraine.

Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, the UAE, Oman, Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, and Nigeria have been invited as “guest countries” to the summit.

Ukraine was invited in a similar capacity to the G7 summit in Japan last year and that of NATO in Lithuania as a reaffirmation of support to the country amid its ongoing war with G20 member Russia.

This will be Trudeau’s first trip to India since February 2018.

Controversies including the one related to the invitation for a convicted Khalistani terrorist to an official dinner reception marred Trudeau’s visit to India in 2018.

Pro-Khalistan activities in Canada have continued to remain an irritant in the India-Canada ties.

India in June cautioned Canada that the activities of Khalistani elements could impact bilateral relations and have security implications after a float depicting the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was part of an event pro-Khalistan elements organised in the Greater Toronto Area.

The float sparked anger in India as it depicted the assassination as “revenge” for Operation Bluestar, the action Gandhi ordered in 1984 to flush out separatist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale and his supporters from Amritsar’s Golden Temple.