(MENAFN- Live Mint) Canada's Foreign Minister, Anita Anand, who arrived in the national capital on Sunday, will meet her Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, today, October 13. The discussions between the two leaders are expected to focus on setting up a framework for bilateral "strategic" cooperation in areas of trade, energy and security.

It is Anand's first visit to India since assuming the charge of the foreign minister of Canada in May this year. She is also scheduled to meet Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss ways to boost two-way trade ties.

Also Read | S Jaishankar, Canadian FM Anita Anand discuss strengthening India-Canada ties

"This visit will help build on the positive momentum in India-Canada relations by revitalising our bilateral mechanisms, deepening economic cooperation, and further strengthening the enduring people-to-people ties that anchor our partnership," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X.

Anand will travel to Singapore and China from India .

Anand's visit to India comes at a time when India and Canada are moving towards establishing a framework for strategic cooperation on issues such as trade diversification, energy transformation and security, a Canadian readout said on Saturday.

Events in Mumbai, too

"Minister Anand will also travel to Mumbai, India, where she will meet with Canadian and Indian firms working to support investment, job creation and economic opportunity in Canada and India," it said.

The Canadian foreign minister's visit comes more than three weeks after Canada's National Security Advisor Nathalie Drouin visited India and held extensive talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.

Days after the Doval-Drouin meeting, Canada designated the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity for "violently targeting" certain communities and creating a "climate of fear and intimidation".

Renewed vibrancy in India-Canada ties

The renewed vibrancy in the ties between the two countries followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's talks with his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, on the margins of the G7 Summit in June at Canada's Kananaskis.

The India-Canada relations hit a rock bottom following the then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in 2023 of a potential Indian link to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India had dismissed Trudeau's accusation as "absurd".

Also Read | Did Mark Carney, PM Modi discuss Nijjar case? Canada PM said THIS

In October last year, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case.

India also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats.

However, Liberal Party leader Carney's victory in the parliamentary election in April helped initiate the process of resetting relations. Both sides have already posted their high commissioners in each other's capitals. The two countries also agreed to revive several mechanisms to advance relations in various areas.

(With agency inputs)

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