As diplomatic ties between India and Canada show tentative signs of recovery, Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has publicly voiced strong support for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta. Modi is expected to attend the high-level meeting from June 15 to 17 in Kananaskis, following an official invitation from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, underscored the importance of strengthening relations with India, citing the country’s growing global influence and economic significance. Speaking to reporters, he said, “India has been at the last six G7 conferences. It's one of the biggest and fastest-growing economies in the world. We need to sell our natural gas, our civilian nuclear power technology and other resource projects to India. And we need to work with India and other countries on trade and security.”
He further emphasised that Conservatives support the decision to invite Modi and want the Canadian government to engage India constructively, particularly on key security issues. “The invitation is necessary, and we want to see the government work on addressing security issues at the same time... when the prime minister has those conversations with Prime Minister Modi,” Poilievre said.
This year’s G7 summit carries additional diplomatic weight given the strained relations between New Delhi and Ottawa. Tensions escalated sharply in 2023 when then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly alleged Indian involvement in the killing of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. The accusation triggered a diplomatic standoff, with both nations expelling senior diplomats and halting high-level bilateral engagement.
Also Read: Carney’s invite to Modi may thaw frosty Indo-Canadian relations
Carney, who assumed office in April, reached out to Modi in his first official phone call as prime minister. His gesture of inviting the Indian leader to the G7 summit has been widely seen as an attempt to recalibrate Canada’s approach toward India. According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral relations through “mutual respect and shared interests.”
Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal also commented on the development, offering a measured reminder of Canada’s role within the G7 framework. “It should be understood that Canada does not own the G7; it is only one of the members. It can’t easily unilaterally dilute the G7’s outreach agenda by not inviting a country like India, which has been invited to G7 summits in previous years,” Sibal wrote.
Highlighting the evolving geopolitical landscape, Sibal stressed that the G7’s relevance now depends on engaging emerging powers like India. “With shifts in power eastwards, the G7 has lost centrality and needs to reach out to key rising economies to remain relevant. The G20 was the result. India, in its own right and as a leader of the Global South, matters.”
Also Read: Canada’s invite to Modi for G7 summit triggers Sikh anger
He further argued that Canada has borne the brunt of the diplomatic fallout with India. “Canada is paying a higher price for the virtual collapse of its ties with India than the contrary is the case,” he remarked. Sibal also pointed out Canada’s past vulnerability in the global arena, noting that “Canada has come under humiliating pressure from the US under Trump. It needs to establish other partnerships to have more room for manoeuvre.”
Modi’s participation in the summit is expected to draw intense scrutiny, particularly in light of expected protests by pro-Khalistan groups in Canada. According to Sibal, Carney’s personal outreach to Modi signals his intent to ensure the Indian leader’s presence. “Now let’s see how he handles the inevitable demonstrations by the Canadian Sikh extremists who will see in this invitation a challenge to their vicious agenda,” he added.
Modi’s visit could mark a pivotal moment in reshaping the India-Canada relationship, potentially paving the way for renewed cooperation on trade, security, and multilateral issues, even amid lingering tensions.
Also Read: Why PM Modi was invited to G7 despite Nijjar row: Canada PM
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