New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a three-nation tour starting Sunday, during which he will take part in the G-7 summit in Canada and visit Cyprus and Croatia. Announcing the forthcoming visit of the Prime Minister, India in a statement said Mr Modi will begin the visit on Sunday morning and will conclude it on Thursday. The PM will first visit Cyprus en route to Canada and later Croatia on the return journey.
The forthcoming visit will mark Mr Modi’s first foreign visit since the launch of Operation Sindoor last month. In a statement, New Delhi said that the Prime Minister will visit Cyprus on June 15-16 at the invitation of the island nation’s President Nikos Christodoulides. This will be the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Cyprus in over two decades.
“While in Nicosia, Mr Modi will hold talks with Mr Christodoulides and address business leaders in Limassol. The visit will reaffirm the shared commitment of the two countries to deepen bilateral ties and strengthen India’s engagement with the Mediterranean region and the European Union,” the statement said.
Observers point out that the visit to the island nation is significant, given the traditional strained ties between Cyprus and Turkey, which is a close friend and ally of Pakistan. Cyprus has traditionally been a close friend of India and is also wary of Turkey. New Delhi has consistently lent its support for the territorial integrity of Cyprus.
On the second leg of his visit, New Delhi said that the Prime Minister will travel to Kananaskis in Canada on June 16-17 to participate in the G-7 summit at the invitation of the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. This will be the Prime Minister’s sixth consecutive participation in the G-7 summit.
“At the summit, the Prime Minister will exchange views with leaders of G-7 countries, other invited outreach countries and heads of international organisations on crucial global issues, including energy security, technology and innovation, particularly the AI-energy nexus and quantum-related issues. The Prime Minister will also hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit,” New Delhi said.
Any meeting between the Prime Minister and US President Donald Trump will also be keenly watched as the two nations negotiate a bilateral trade pact.
In Canada, Mr Modi is expected to hold an important bilateral meeting with Mr Carney that will comprise a focus on trade ties as well as a “law enforcement dialogue” covering mutual security concerns. During the meeting, India is expected to strongly push for a crackdown by Canadian authorities on the violent activities of pro-Khalistan elements in Canada who are carrying on an anti-India campaign targeting the Indian community and Indian diplomats there and have also been trying to foment extremism and violence in Punjab in collusion with gangsters.
Ties between India and Canada had deteriorated sharply from September 2023, onwards during the tenure of Mr Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, who had, as Prime Minister, accused India of involvement in the killing of Canadian citizen and pro-Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June that year on Canadian soil. India had dismissed the Canadian allegations as absurd.
After Mr Carney’s appointment as Canadian PM on March 14 this year that was followed by his victory in the polls there, “the two sides have been in touch at the level of leaders and senior officials” to rebuild ties.
Despite the recent turbulence in bilateral ties, trade will remain a focus area. According to official reports, “Bilateral trade in goods in 2024 stood at $8.6 billion, much below potential. India exported $4.2 billion and imported $4.4 billion worth of goods. Bilateral trade in services in 2024 stood at USD 14.3 billion, with India exporting USD 2.5 billion and importing USD 11.8 billion worth of services. The sixth India-Canada ministerial dialogue on trade and investment (MDTI) was held in Ottawa on 8 May 2023. Ten rounds of early progress trade agreement (EPTA) negotiations have been held till date…”
On the final leg of the PM visit, the ministry of external affairs said, “At the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković, the Prime Minister will undertake an official visit to Croatia on June 18. This will be the first-ever visit by an Indian PM to Croatia, marking an important milestone in the bilateral relationship. Mr will hold bilateral discussions with Mr Plenković and meet the President of Croatia Zoran Milanović. The visit to Croatia will also underscore India’s commitment to further strengthening its engagement with partners in the European Union.
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