{"id":1615,"date":"2025-06-12T01:57:39","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T01:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=1615"},"modified":"2025-06-12T01:57:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T01:57:39","slug":"will-modis-trip-to-canada-boost-bilateral-relations-foreign-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=1615","title":{"rendered":"Will Modi\u2019s Trip to Canada Boost Bilateral Relations? \u2013 Foreign Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Welcome to\u00a0<em>Foreign Policy<\/em>\u2019s South Asia Brief.<\/p>\n<p>The highlights this week: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gears up for a trip to Canada to attend the <strong>G-7 summit<\/strong>, U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s nominee for the <strong>State Department\u2019s top South Asia post<\/strong> appears before the Senate for a confirmation hearing, and Bangladeshi interim leader <strong>Muhammad Yunus<\/strong> visits London.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-fallback\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/south-asia-brief\/\">Sign up<\/a>  to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.            <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<form data-shortcode-newsletter=\"south_asia_brief\" class=\"newsletter-unit-signup newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode email-capture--step-1 newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-south_asia_brief\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-south_asia_brief newsletter-shortcode-south_asia_brief\">\n<div class=\"show-on-email-capture--signed-up hide-from-newsletter-subscriber newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode--container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit newsletter-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-south_asia_brief\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">Sign up to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.<\/h2>\n<p>\n                        <button class=\"button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"grid--flex newsletter-south_asia_brief newsletter-signup-container\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"South Asia Brief sign up form\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"buttons\">\n<div class=\"hide-from-newsletter-subscriber privacy-policy-container\">\n<div class=\"privacy-policy-acknowledge\">\n<p><small>By submitting your email, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <label for=\"email-south_asia_brief\">Enter your email<\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" class=\"hide-from-reg hide-from-sub\" id=\"email-south_asia_brief\" aria-required=\"true\" required=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <button class=\"button button--signup \" data-newsletter-id=\"south_asia_brief\" data-sourceid=\"In-article unit\" type=\"submit\"><br \/>\n      <span class=\"sign-up-text\">Sign Up<\/span><br \/>\n      <span class=\"loading-text\">Loading&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Modi Goes to Canada<\/h3>\n<p>Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pmindia.gov.in\/en\/news_updates\/pm-receives-call-from-canadian-prime-minister-mr-mark-carney-for-the-invitation-to-the-g7-summit-in-kananaskis\/?comment=disable\">spoke by phone<\/a> last Friday, with the Indian leader invited to attend the G-7 leaders\u2019 summit in Alberta next week.<\/p>\n<p>Modi said that he looks forward to meeting Carney at the event, which will mark the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Canada since April 2015, when Modi\u2014then in the first year of his first term\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hciottawa.gov.in\/newsevent?id=12\">traveled<\/a> there and met then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Modi has attended five <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/world\/canadian-pm-reveals-why-he-invited-pm-modi-to-g7-meet-10053580\/\">previous G-7 leaders\u2019 summits<\/a>, dating to 2019.<\/p>\n<p>Modi\u2019s trip is a major development for India-Canada ties, which have been fraught since the previous Canadian government <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/politics\/trudeau-indian-government-nijjar-1.6970498\">accused<\/a> India of involvement in the assassination of a Sikh separatist in British Columbia in 2023. And seen strictly through the lens of bilateral relations, the G-7 invitation may seem questionable.<\/p>\n<p>To be sure, tensions have abated in recent weeks, mainly because Carney\u2019s predecessor, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom New Delhi <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/10\/17\/india-hits-out-at-cavalier-trudeau-as-rift-with-canada-deepens\">blamed specifically<\/a> for the strain in ties, is no longer in power. Last month, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/in-their-first-phone-conversation-jaishankar-canadian-foreign-minister-anand-discuss-ways-to-boost-economic-ties\/articleshow\/121398194.cms\">had a call<\/a> with his Canadian counterpart. The two sides are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/india-canada-move-to-repair-ties-after-trudeau-era-tensions\/a-72666957\">reportedly considering <\/a>restoring their high commissioners.<\/p>\n<p>But the two sides remain far apart on the issue most responsible for tensions: Canada accuses India of transnational repression against Sikhs on its soil, while New Delhi counters that Ottawa doesn\u2019t do enough to address the threat posed by Sikh separatists who support the creation of an independent state of Khalistan.<\/p>\n<p>With little direct, high-level engagement between the two sides in recent years, there is a risk that an encounter between Carney and Modi will be awkward. Not to mention that Canadian authorities will likely need to deal with the headache of pro-Khalistan activists staging protests against Modi during his visit.<\/p>\n<p>However, seen from a broader geopolitical context, it\u2019s hard to imagine Canada not inviting Modi. Though India is not a G-7 member, it is the world\u2019s most populous nation, its largest democracy, and its fastest-growing major economy (and fourth-largest economy overall). All G-7 members except Canada have close ties with New Delhi.<\/p>\n<p>Canada\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pm.gc.ca\/en\/news\/news-releases\/2025\/06\/07\/prime-minister-carney-announces-canadas-g7-priorities\">stated priorities<\/a> for the summit\u2014strengthening energy security, facilitating digital transitions, investing in growth\u2014all align with India\u2019s own goals and strengths. One of his agenda points\u2014countering foreign interference\u2014could prove awkward, given that Ottawa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/ckgnl4e3grpo\">previously accused<\/a> New Delhi of conducting election interference.<\/p>\n<p>Carney\u2019s invitation to Modi also reflects that the G-7\u2019s members defer to India\u2019s global clout. Many Western states put their various concerns about India\u2014whether about its friendship with Russia or democratic backsliding\u2014on hold to ensure continued close engagement.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to Canada, two G-7 countries\u2014the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/some-us-sikhs-fear-modi-government-is-threatening-surveilling-doxxing-them-2024-08-12\/\">United States<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/uk-england-birmingham-68121754\">United Kingdom<\/a>\u2014are members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance that worry about Indian transnational repression risks on their soil. They still likely backed Carney\u2019s decision to invite Modi.<\/p>\n<p>Modi\u2019s visit, assuming it leads to a meeting with Carney on the sidelines, can be a confidence-building measure that positions the two sides to take further steps to reset relations. The countries have strong incentives to step up bilateral trade\u2014which has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/world-news\/india-canada-trade-ties-remain-stable-despite-political-differences-101739858615472.html\">remained robust<\/a> despite tensions\u2014amid U.S. tariff policies that have targeted both India and Canada.<\/p>\n<p>The Khalistan issue certainly remains a sore spot, and it could flare anew if Sikh activists try to spoil Modi\u2019s visit with protests. But if bilateral relations improve in other areas, it will be easier to manage.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, Modi\u2019s trip to Canada can pave the way for another possible encounter with Carney at the G-20 summit in South Africa in November. That will be another forum where India\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/india-as-a-bridge-between-the-global-north-and-south\/article69203944.ece\">global influence<\/a> will be on display, and its presence welcomed.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>What We\u2019re Following<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Kapur\u2019s U.S. Senate confirmation hearing. <\/strong>U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s nominee for the top South Asia post at the State Department, S. Paul Kapur, had his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday. The previous assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs was Donald Lu, a senior diplomat. Kapur is an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/world-news\/paul-kapur-is-trump-s-nominee-for-top-state-south-asia-job-101739378918970.html\">academic<\/a> who studies South Asian security.<\/p>\n<p>Kapur is a critic of Pakistan and champion of partnership with India, like many senior Trump administration officials. His scholarship has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Jihad-Grand-Strategy-Militancy-Pakistani\/dp\/0199768528\">focused on the dangers<\/a> of Pakistan\u2019s sponsorship of Islamist militants. At the Senate hearing, his prepared <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foreign.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/2b6dc080-c286-1b13-84e5-3c2b80b7457a\/061025_Kapur_Testimony.pdf\">statement<\/a> reflected his strong support for U.S.-India partnership, though his remarks included a call for cooperation with Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p>Kapur\u2019s confirmation hearing comes at a critical moment: The subcontinent is tense after last month\u2019s India-Pakistan conflict, and Washington and New Delhi are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/business\/india-us-trade-talks-hit-a-speed-bump-101749615363801.html\">engaged in trade talks<\/a> intended to lower U.S. tariffs on India. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/05\/13\/world\/asia\/trump-india-pakistan-ceasefire.html\">Comments<\/a> that Trump made about the Kashmir issue and Washington\u2019s role in last month\u2019s cease-fire presented bumps in the road for the relationship.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, a few key capitals in South Asia\u2014including New Delhi, Dhaka, and Islamabad\u2014don\u2019t currently have formal U.S. ambassadors in place since Trump took office in January.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Yunus in London.<\/strong> Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh\u2019s interim government, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhakatribune.com\/bangladesh\/foreign-affairs\/383481\/yunus-reaches-london-on-four-day-official-tour\">is in the United Kingdom<\/a> this week for meetings with top British officials, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer. What stands out about the trip are the two prominent Bangladesh diaspora members that Yunus may meet in London.<\/p>\n<p>One is <a href=\"https:\/\/en.prothomalo.com\/bangladesh\/politics\/su1f6js1qr\">Tarique Rahman<\/a>, the son of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and interim leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)\u2014the main rival to the Awami League party and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who resigned under pressure last August. The other is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/jun\/08\/tulip-siddiq-requests-meeting-with-bangladeshi-leader-over-corruption-allegation\">Tulip Siddiq<\/a>, a British member of Parliament and Hasina\u2019s niece.<\/p>\n<p>Both meetings could have considerable implications for Bangladeshi politics; Yunus is <a href=\"https:\/\/en.prothomalo.com\/bangladesh\/qhnftn7xao\">scheduled<\/a> to meet Rahman on Friday, but it is unclear if he will meet Siddiq.<\/p>\n<p>Rahman, based in London since 2008, is a top contender to be the BNP\u2019s candidate for prime minister in elections that will likely take place by mid-2026. But many observers are perplexed as to why he hasn\u2019t returned to Bangladesh since Hasina\u2019s ouster. A meeting with Yunus might touch on plans for his return\u2014and on the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.prothomalo.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/8uk2cylug1\">reported differences<\/a> between Yunus and the BNP on the election timeline.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Siddiq wants to discuss what she <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/jun\/08\/tulip-siddiq-requests-meeting-with-bangladeshi-leader-over-corruption-allegation\">describes<\/a> as a \u201cmisunderstanding\u201d after Bangladeshi authorities alleged this year that she may have secured large amounts of land in Bangladesh through corrupt means. (She denies the accusation, which prompted her to\u00a0<a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2025\/jan\/14\/tulip-siddiq-resigns-as-treasury-minister-over-alleged-bangladeshi-financial-links\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2025\/jan\/14\/tulip-siddiq-resigns-as-treasury-minister-over-alleged-bangladeshi-financial-links\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">resign<\/a> from her positions as economic secretary to the Treasury and City minister.)<\/p>\n<p>If Yunus agrees to meet Siddiq, it could be interpreted as a conciliatory step to Hasina and her party. The interim government has so far taken an uncompromisingly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/ousted-bangladesh-pm-hasinas-party-barred-election-party-registration-suspended-2025-05-13\/\">hard line<\/a> against the Awami League.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Under the Radar<\/h3>\n<p>The delegation that visited Washington from Islamabad last week to push its case after the recent India-Pakistan conflict was busy, with many meetings with lawmakers, scholars, media, and the Pakistani diaspora. But it didn\u2019t meet with the Trump administration aside from an engagement with Allison Hooker, the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PakinUSA\/status\/1930825882903498879\">U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Another less prominent Pakistani visitor was in town around the same time: Bilal Bin Saqib, Pakistan\u2019s minister of state for crypto and blockchain. (A Pakistani minister of state is junior to a minister.) Saqib visited the White House and <a href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/pakistan-bitcoin-reserve-white-house-meeting-trump-council\">met<\/a> Robert \u201cBo\u201d Hines, the executive director of Trump\u2019s Council on Digital Assets.<\/p>\n<p>It is the only known case of a visiting Pakistani official meeting a senior White House figure during Trump\u2019s second term. Islamabad is working toward legalizing cryptocurrency, and Saqib is CEO of Pakistan\u2019s Crypto Council, <a href=\"https:\/\/mettisglobal.news\/govt-establishes-pakistan-crypto-council\/\">established<\/a> in March. The same month, Saqib <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-03-20\/pakistan-plans-to-legalize-crypto-in-bid-for-foreign-investment?embedded-checkout=true\">linked<\/a> Pakistan\u2019s sudden push on cryptocurrency to Trump\u2019s prioritization of cryptocurrency as a policy issue.<\/p>\n<p>This push appears to have paid off: Foreign guests that Pakistan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1894310\">described<\/a> as Trump\u2019s \u201cadvisors for digital assets\u201d (most of them in the crypto business) have visited Islamabad to meet the finance minister. A U.S. company with ties to Trump\u2019s sons <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/crypto\/policy\/trump-backed-project-partners-with-pakistan-govt\">signed a deal<\/a> with Pakistan\u2019s Crypto Council in April.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear where all this will go, but for now Pakistan appears to have successfully used tactics to get the Trump administration\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>FP\u2019s Most Read This Week<\/h3>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Regional Voices<\/h3>\n<p>In the <em>Daily Mirror<\/em>, professor <strong>G.R.A. Kumara<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/opinion\/Science-for-National-Prosperity-Turning-Sri-Lankas-waste-into-scientific-wealth\/172-311020\">argues<\/a> that Sri Lanka is squandering its potential to use scientific research to strengthen development. \u201cSri Lanka, with its rich natural resources and educated population, has tremendous potential,\u201d he writes. \u201cYet, despite decades of progress, we remain behind in converting research into practical, scalable solutions that can uplift the lives of our citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In <em>Prothom Alo<\/em>, editor <strong>Sohrab Hassan<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/en.prothomalo.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/8uk2cylug1\">highlights<\/a> the divide between Dhaka and the BNP on Bangladesh\u2019s election timeline. \u201cThe interim government believes that elections should take place only after emerging from the prevailing \u2018war-like\u2019 situation,\u201d he writes. \u201c[The] BNP, on the other hand, argues that the longer it takes, the worse the situation will become.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the <em>Print<\/em>, former Indian Army chief <strong>M.M. Naravane<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/theprint.in\/opinion\/borders-drone-attacks-ukraine-russia\/2651427\/\">warns<\/a> that India must better protect all of its territory\u2014not just its borders\u2014from drone attacks. \u201cWe are surrounded by inimical countries,\u201d he writes. \u201c[O]ur vital installations are no more than a few hundred km from any border, making the institution of 360-degree preventive and precautionary measures all the more urgent.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/06\/11\/india-canada-modi-carney-g7-trip-sikh-separatism\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to\u00a0Foreign Policy\u2019s South Asia Brief. The highlights this week: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gears up for a trip to Canada to attend the G-7 summit, U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s nominee for the State Department\u2019s top South Asia post appears before the Senate for a confirmation hearing, and Bangladeshi interim leader Muhammad Yunus visits [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1616,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1615","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politcical-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1615\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}