"Not merely renewal of a relationship, it is expansion of a valued partnership": Canadian PM Carney

New Delhi [India], March 2 (ANI): Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday hailed the "new ambition, focus and foresight" in ties with India, describing the past year as one of unprecedented engagement between Ottawa and New Delhi.
Addressing a Joint Press meet at Hyderabad House in the national capital, Carney thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the "generous hospitality" extended to him and his delegation, Carney said the spirit of partnership had defined bilateral exchanges since their first conversation last June.
"You've extended that hospitality to my ministers as they've visited," Carney said, noting that PM Modi had also attended the recent G7 Summit weeks after their initial discussion.
Highlighting the scale of diplomatic outreach, Carney said there had been more high-level engagement in the past year than in decades. "Our foreign ministers have met five times. Four of my ministers have led delegations here to India. Provincial premiers have been here, including today. There has been more engagement between the Canadian and Indian governments in the last year than there has been in more than two decades combined," he said.
"So this is not merely the renewal of a relationship. It is the expansion of a valued partnership with new ambition, focus and foresight, a partnership between confident countries charting our own course for the future," Carney added.
Reflecting on India's economic trajectory, Carney praised the country's growth under PM Modi's leadership. "In the last decade, let's just reflect on what's happened. Prime Minister, India has become the fastest-growing economy in the world in terms of per capita income. Incomes in this country have risen at a pace never seen in history, seldom in human history," he said.
He also pointed to India's advancements in emerging sectors. "The most ambitious projects in clean energy, in the digital economy, in biofuels, in the next generation of artificial intelligence talent are all here in India," Carney said, adding that Canada shares similar aspirations.
"Canada shares such ambition and your sense of purpose," he said, indicating that the evolving partnership would be anchored in innovation, sustainable development and shared economic priorities.
The two countries also exchanged several MoUs in the presence of both Prime Ministers.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at Hyderabad House in the national capital, focusing on strengthening cooperation and partnership between the two countries.
The Canadian Prime Minister arrived in India on February 27 for an official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This marks Carney's first official visit to the country, which began when he arrived in Mumbai. He will depart from India today following his engagements in the national capital. (ANI)