Transcript of Special Media Briefing by MEA on the Official Visit of Prime Minister of Canada to India (March 02, 2026)

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson:Namaste and good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining this press briefing on the visit of the Prime Minister of Canada. We have with us Secretary (East) Shri P. Kumaran, and he is assisted by Shri Nagaraj Naidu, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs for this briefing. With that, I hand over the floor to Secretary (East), Sir.

Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East): Good afternoon, friends. It's a pleasure to talk to you again. The Prime Minister of Canada, Right Honourable Mark Carney, will shortly be successfully concluding his official visit to India from 27th of February to 2nd of March, 2026.

This was his first visit to India since assuming office and the first bilateral visit by a Canadian Prime Minister in eight years. The visit marks an important inflection point in the India-Canada relationship.

Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit commenced with a two-day program in Mumbai. The Mumbai leg was primarily business-oriented and aimed at catalysing investment flows, deepening financial linkages, and expanding innovation partnerships between the two countries. Prime Minister Carney held extensive interactions with Indian business leaders, CEOs, innovators, educators, and representatives of leading Canadian pension funds.

These discussions were essentially focused on bilateral investment flows, strengthening collaboration in clean energy, critical minerals, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. It is also related to partnerships in education, skills, and research, and expanding capital market linkages and long-term institutional investments.

Prime Minister Carney delivered the keynote address at the Canada-India Growth and Investment Forum in Mumbai, where he described his visit as the beginning of a renewed and ambitious Canada-India partnership after eight years without a bilateral Prime Ministerial visit.

He also emphasised the importance of diversification, trusted partnerships, and strategic autonomy rather than isolation. He stressed the need to conclude negotiations on an ambitious, Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, CEPA, with the objective of doubling bilateral trade by 2030.

Overall, the Mumbai leg of the visit set a strong economic and innovation-driven tone for the broader bilateral engagement, laying the foundation for substantive outcomes during the Delhi segment of the visit. Before I come to the Delhi leg, I just wanted to mention that over the past year, both sides have worked steadily to stabilise and normalise the relationship. This visit has taken that process forward decisively, moving the partnership from normalisation to structured expansion.

Earlier today, the Prime Ministers held wide-ranging and constructive discussions. They reaffirmed their shared commitment to rebuild strategic trust, strengthen institutional cooperation, and anchor the relationship in mutual respect, sovereignty, and democratic values.

As far as the deliverables for the visit are concerned, we have a joint statement which is comprehensive in scope and forward-looking in ambition, and a number of MOUs in the G2G, education and research, and B2B domains. We have brought out a fact sheet to capture the deliverables. Both of these are available on MEA's website.

The leaders' joint statement articulates a structured vision for the renewed India-Canada strategic partnership anchored in the guiding principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam-one earth, one family, one future. In that sense, the joint statement provides a long-term framework-political, economic, technological, and strategic-to guide bilateral engagement over the coming decade. It signals not just normalisation, but renewed ambition. The visit delivered concrete outcomes across five pillars.

Number one was the agreement on a durable economic anchor through the launch of CEPA. The signing of the terms of reference for a CEPA provides a clear roadmap to conclude an ambitious, balanced, and mutually beneficial agreement by the end of 2026.

To sustain the momentum, the India-Canada CEO Forum has been reconstituted and met today in New Delhi a short while ago. A new Finance Minister's Economic and Financial Dialogue has been launched. Both sides agreed on reciprocal ministerial-led trade and investment engagements to unlock commercial opportunities.

Beyond government-to-government outcomes, the visit witnessed substantial commercial announcements and investment commitments across a wide range of sectors, including pharmaceuticals and life sciences, agri-food processing, clean technology and water infrastructure, financial services and fintech, advanced manufacturing, hospitality, and digital innovation. These announcements reflect growing confidence among businesses in both markets and underscore the depth of two-way investment flows.

The reciprocal investment pattern signals that the partnership is increasingly anchored in real economic integration rather than episodic transactions. Notably, investments span next-generation sectors such as regenerative medicine, AI-enabled banking platforms, cybersecurity, clean energy technologies, and advanced industrial solutions. The scale and diversity of these commercial engagements demonstrate that the normalisation process has already begun translating into tangible economic outcomes.

Energy cooperation emerged as a defining pillar of this visit. The leaders advanced a comprehensive strategic energy partnership spanning civil nuclear cooperation, including all aspects of the reactor value chain, critical minerals, conventional energy trade, and clean and renewable energy transitions. A major milestone is the conclusion of a long-term uranium supply agreement.

The signing of the MOUs on critical minerals and renewable energy cooperation will also help build resilient supply chains and accelerate clean energy deployment. Canada's decision to join the International Solar Alliance and upgrade its participation in the Global Biofuel Alliance to a full member further deepens convergence in global clean energy platforms.

People-to-people ties remain the bedrock of the relationship. Education and research collaboration prominently featured in the visit, reflecting the central role of talent mobility in the India-Canada partnership.

The visit saw the expansion of structured academic partnerships across artificial intelligence, hydrogen research, digital agriculture, climate-resilient farming, nursing education, and innovation ecosystems. These institutional linkages move beyond traditional student flows and instead focus on co-creation of knowledge, joint research, dual degree pathways, and industry-integrated training.

Taken together, these initiatives signal a shift from volume-driven student mobility to structured, innovation-led academic collaboration aligned with emerging sectors and workforce needs in both countries. A joint talent and innovation strategy will provide a structured framework for two-way mobility, skills development, and research collaboration.

An MoU on cultural cooperation and Canada's participation in Bharat Tribal Festival 2026 also reinforce the societal and civilizational dimension.

The leaders agreed to relaunch the joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee, creating a renewed institutional platform for collaboration in critical and emerging technologies. They advanced work under the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation Partnership and agreed to develop a structured work plan in AI and digital technologies.

Space cooperation will also be elevated as both sides approach the 30th anniversary of the CSA-ISRO MoU in 2026.

On security cooperation, the leaders welcomed progress under the National Security Level Dialogue and agreed on a shared work plan covering counter-terrorism, organized crime, cybercrime, and immigration enforcement. The India-Canada Defense Dialogue will be institutionalised at the Joint Secretary or Director General level. These steps signal a maturing and institutionalised security engagement.

Finally, both leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. India supported Canada's interest in joining the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) as a dialogue partner. There is growing convergence between India's vision for the IOR and Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy, particularly in the areas of sustainable development, climate resilience, maritime cooperation, and infrastructure.

In sum, Prime Minister Carney's visit has: one, consolidated normalisation; two, restored strategic direction; three, institutionalised economic and security dialogues; and positioned the partnership towards long-term expansion.

India and Canada have agreed to structure their renewed strategic partnership around shared prosperity, trusted technology ecosystems, energy security, talent mobility, and Indo-Pacific cooperation. The relationship has clearly moved beyond turbulence into a more stable and forward-looking phase. Thank you very much.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Thank you, sir. We now open the floor for questions. Please keep your questions focused on the visit.

Ravinder Singh Robin, Freelance Journalist:I am Ravinder Singh Robin, freelance journalist. Sir, my question is regarding … have both countries … moving towards with full diplomatic strength in respective High Commissions, and are the staffing level coming up with the earlier understanding?

Sidhant, WION:Hi sir, Sidhant from WION. Sir, India has always had concerns of criminals getting space in Canada, and this is also related to the process of allowing these criminals into Canada, looking into their system. How much that has been a concern, and how much that has been raised with the Canadian side?

Abhishek Jha, Independent Journalist: Sir, Abhishek Jha, independent journalist. Sir, did the two leaders also share their views on the current ongoing crisis in Iran?

Kadambini Sharma, Independent Journalist:Kadambini Sharma, independent journalist. Sir, Bharat kai varshon se organised crime mein shamil jo apradhi hain, yahan se galat tarike se, illegal tarike se gaye hue hain, unki fehrist deta raha hai. Toh kya is par, unke extradition wagairah par koi baat hui hai specifically?

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi]Kadambini Sharma, independent journalist.Sir, for many years India has been providing a list of criminals involved in organised crime who left the country through illegal means. So, was there any specific discussion on this matter, particularly regarding their extradition and related issues?

Keshav Padmanabhan, The Print: Sir, good evening. Keshav Padmanabhan from The Print. My question is with regards to the security component of the dialogue because the NSAs had agreed to set up liaison officers earlier. So was there anything specific discussed with regards to this component of the ties, given how we've now seen new allegations coming out of Indian officials in the Vancouver Consulate being behind or linked to the killing of Nijjar in Canadian media that came out earlier today in the morning. So was this discussed?

Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East):Thank you very much. Let me start with the question on diplomatic staff strengths in the Mission and Consulates. Yes, this has been discussed during various dialogues at various levels, and there is broad agreement that we should be increasing diplomatic strength on both sides progressively to reach their levels in the past. We are already in the process of doing that. You would have seen that the High Commissioners have returned to their positions. We have a High Commissioner in our mission in Canada, and similarly, the Canadian Mission is headed now by a High Commissioner.

Let me tell you that the numbers are currently at levels better than what we had in 2023. And we continue to take steps to take this to the next level in keeping with the expanded agenda and ambition, and we are taking this on a step-by-step basis.

The second one was about criminals getting space in Canada. Let me try and give you some broader context on the current security cooperation between Canada and India. Based on the guidance provided by the leaders, we had the meeting between the National Security Advisors of the two countries in Delhi on 18th September 2025 and for a second time again on 7th February 2026 in Ottawa. The two sides acknowledged progress on initiatives aimed at supporting the safety and security of their countries and their citizens. It was also agreed to continue senior official level discussions on security and law enforcement cooperation. Let me also highlight that we have a JWG on Counter-Terrorism. We have a consular dialogue mechanism in place that addresses all issues including extradition, look out circular notices, etc. We will be holding the next edition of the consular dialogue sometime in the coming months.

At the meeting held on 6th of February, both sides agreed to a shared work plan to guide bilateral cooperation on national security and law enforcement issues and to enable practical collaboration on the respective priorities. It was also agreed that each country would establish security and law enforcement liaison officers to build on working relationships, streamline bilateral communications, and enable timely information sharing on issues of mutual interest to Canada and India, including issues such as illegal flow of drugs, particularly fentanyl precursors and transnational organised criminal networks.

On Iran crisis, yes, you know, as you would expect, this is a hot issue right now, and therefore it was discussed. Prime Minister took the opportunity to convey that India is deeply concerned at the recent developments in Iran and the Gulf region in general. He said we have urged all sides to exercise restraint, avoid escalation, and prioritise the safety of civilians. He also said dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued to de-escalate tensions and address the underlying issues. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be maintained.

Our Missions in the region, of course, are in touch with Indian nationals and various community associations and have issued advisories asking them to remain vigilant, stay in contact with the Missions, and follow local security guidance. You would have also seen the statement by our spokesperson on this issue earlier.

On the Globe and Mail allegations, the one that you mentioned which appeared earlier today, you would have already seen the statement issued by our spokesperson. I would refer you to that. Thank you.

Sorry, aapne extradition ke baare mein pucha tha. Extradition jaisa ki maine pehle refer kiya tha, consular dialogue mein regularly discuss hote hain. Extradition teams dono taraf se, unki last meeting hui thi Delhi mein 19th of September 2025. Usme exchange of information hua tha on all pending extradition and mutual legal assistance cases. And that's a continuing process and hum determined hain ki is process ko hum actively follow up karenge.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi]Sorry, you had asked about extradition. As I mentioned earlier, extradition matters are regularly discussed during the consular dialogue. The extradition teams from both sides held their last meeting in Delhi on 19th September 2025. During that meeting, there was an exchange of information on all pending extradition and mutual legal assistance cases. This is an ongoing process, and we are determined to actively follow up on it.

Rishabh, Times Now:Sir, one clarification on the diplomatic strength. This is Rishabh from Times Now. When the first set of Canadian diplomats were asked to leave India, it was on the basis of parity. So are we still working on the parity of diplomats on both sides, A,

And B, when it comes to Globe and Mail, while the reset ties are on, have we raked up this issue with Canada about this unnamed source-based inputs that are being reported in the media?

Manas, PTI: This is Manas from PTI. Just wanted to know the broad kind of contours of the two significant agreements that both sides inked today. One is on the critical minerals partnership and the second one is on the uranium sourcing agreement. So will you please, in fact, explain the overall kind of ambit of these two very significant agreements? Thank you.

Archis Mohan, Business Standard:Sir, on CEPA, is there a next deadline for concluding negotiations? What are the next steps if you can elaborate a bit?

Suhasini Haidar, The Hindu:On the nuclear cooperation agreement for the supply of uranium, we had exactly this agreement signed between 2015 and 2020, yet no Canadian uranium actually was supplied to India at the time. What gives you confidence that there will actually be any kind of uranium supply on this occasion?

And I do have to ask on this Globe and Mail, but it's not just the Globe and Mail, but the National Post in Canada also carries a statement from the CSIS that says that its assessment that India is taking part in transnational repression, is involved in foreign intervention, remains.

The question again is one of trust. Does the Indian government trust that the Canadian government will continue in this case in a manner that does not embarrass us? Once again they have named specific officials. They have named the Consul General there in Vancouver, they have named what they call a R&AW agent. So I just wanted to get a real reaction instead of all the joint working groups are discussing this issue, but the response on what these revelations mean being given on a day when the two Prime Ministers are meeting. Thank you.

Sumita, ET Now:Hi Sir, this is Sumita from ET Now. To your point about investment commitments across agri-food processing, would you be able to suggest what's the overall scope of these investments, and I have another question if you could answer. What percentage of India's current uranium requirements will be met via this agreement that's been signed?

Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East):Sure. Thank you. About the staff strengths question again, staff strengths normally depend on needs on both sides, the size of the consular demand on both sides, and of course, based on a step-by-step approach that we have agreed on in terms of normalising staff strengths. So it is, like I said, a continuing process and we will be going back to the normal numbers in a step-by-step approach. We'll take it as it comes.

The second question was about the unnamed source in the Globe and Mail report. Like I said, I have nothing more to add to what our spokesperson has said earlier today, and we will probably leave it at that, apart from the broad reiteration of my earlier point that the governments are in touch at various levels. There is an ongoing security dialogue, there is a legal process that is ongoing which will hopefully, you know, deal with all aspects concerned. And I think Additional Secretary (XP) has provided detailed briefings on this issue in the past. There's nothing new or exciting to add right now on that.

Critical minerals, uranium sourcing, was something that was asked, and of course, it was linked to another question on what gives confidence that the nuclear agreement or the fuel sourcing agreement will work this time. You know, Prime Minister Carney underlined at least thrice during his interactions with the Prime Minister today that Canada is determined to be a reliable and stable partner for India in terms of sourcing various products. And one of the pillars, like I mentioned, is also clean energy.

There is a broad commitment on both sides to try and work together on clean energy, and as I mentioned, apart from a few other topics, nuclear fuel supplies, the kind of reactors, small modular reactors, and advanced conventional reactors. There is also a commitment to work together on all parts of the reactor value chain. I would try and place all this in the context of the turbulence geopolitically in the world right now.

Canada clearly sees value in cooperating with India at this point of time. For their own reasons, it works for us, it works for them. And we clearly are interested in diversifying all kinds of clean energy that we can access. The Prime Minister actually told Prime Minister Carney that we have set a target of 100 gigawatts for nuclear energy in the next few years, by 2030 in fact. And Prime Minister Carney said they would be very glad to be partners in that journey together to work with us and ensure that, among other things, nuclear fuel is also available.

There was a question about the deadline for CEPA. We have just agreed on the terms of reference, and you know, we will soon get into detailed discussions. The broad deadline is by the end of the year 2026. So that is something that was agreed on.

On investments, Canadian pension funds invest very large amounts in India. The investments by them has crossed over $100 billion. I was sitting next to a Canadian colleague at lunch and I believe the figure is some $107 billion. So that is something that is interesting for them. There are multiple Canadian pension funds, provincial, federal, etcetera, and different categories of employees. They see a lot of value in investing in India, given the sustained growth story and also what they see as the outlook for the future. It is something that has worked well for them in the past. They also had, in fact, I understand 30% of their pension fund investments in the Asia-Pacific is just in India. And this is obviously a large number and it shows a lot of commitment to the Indian market.

We were also told that they would like the Indian investment market to try and provide benefits that we currently provide for sovereign wealth funds and expand them to pension funds also, and to make India a competitive investment market compared to other financial centres in the region. The Prime Minister said he will look into it and discuss with our team in India and take that on board to see what can be done.

You had asked about critical minerals, uranium sourcing. We've seen in the last few months that critical mineral supplies and supply chain linkages have been weaponised and used as sources of leverage. So there is a broad consensus among what the Canadian Prime Minister referred to as middle powers to try and collaborate on various areas where we can work together, make sure our sources are diversified, and our interests are protected.

So, critical minerals clearly fall in that area. He had spoken about price floors for critical minerals, making sure that there is a ready supply available so that our ability to source critical minerals cannot be held hostage by any single power seeking to dominate supplies. And the critical mineral and rare earths cooperation framework will be helpful for diversification and risk management, therefore.

Brahm Prakash Dubey, Zee News: Sir, Brahm Prakash Dubey, Zee News se. Mera sawal hai ki aap kah rahe hain ki sambandh dono desho ke normal ho rahe hain. Toh Khalistani aatankwadiyon ko lekar lagatar ek lambi list rahi hai, maang karte rahe hain hum log. Toh jo baatcheet hui hai Khalistani aatankwadiyon ko lekar, kya koi list humne saunpi hai? Kitne abhi wanted hain jo wahan par rah rahe hain? Isko lekar kya koi commitment dikhaya hai Canada ki taraf se?

Aur dusra, beete kuch maheeno se lagatar wahan Hindu jo temples hain un par attack hote rahe hain aur kayi target rahe hain. Toh isko lekar Canada ki taraf se kya kaha gaya hai? Kya Bharat ne mamla uthaya hai yeh? Thank you.

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, Brahm Prakash Dubey from Zee News. My question is that you are saying relations between the two countries are returning to normal. Regarding Khalistani terrorists, there has been a long list and we have repeatedly been raising demands. So, in the discussions that took place concerning Khalistani terrorists, did we hand over any list? How many are currently wanted and residing there? Has Canada shown any commitment on this issue?

Secondly, over the past few months there have been repeated attacks on Hindu temples there, and many have been targeted. What has Canada said about this? Has India raised this matter? Thank you.

Rishikesh, PTI: Sir, Rishikesh from PTI. So, if Canada has shown their interest in becoming a dialogue partner in the IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association). So is there any plan to hold naval exercise between the two countries? Because right now we have only multilateral exercise.

Divya, Indian Express: Sir, Divya from Indian Express. Canada was among the top destinations for Indian students till about two years ago, more than 4 lakh, 5 lakh. But in the last two years, there were a lot of rejections and you know, there was a cap. You also mentioned there is a move away from volume-based student mobility to more cooperation. So, is there a shift? What are the discussions and you know, way ahead on this?

Jugal, Collective Newsroom / BBC:Hi sir, this is Jugal from the Collective Newsroom for the BBC. In the statement that Prime Minister Mark Carney has just issued at the conclusion of this visit, he underscored that Canada will continue to take measures to combat transnational repression. So, could you just help us understand how do we see this expression? And exactly what was discussed under the aegis of this expression?

Uma Shankar Singh, Independent Journalist:Uma Shankar Singh, Independent journalist. Mera sawaal Nijjar mamle se hi hai. Humne dekha hai ki kis tarike se jo Canada ki pichli sarkar thi, usne aarop lagaye, usko Bharat ne bebuniyad aur niradhar bataya. Pichli sarkar se is sarkar ka rukh is mamle par kis tarah se alag hai?

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi]Uma Shankar Singh, independent journalist. My question is regarding the Nijjar matter. We saw how the previous Government of Canada made certain allegations, which India described as baseless and unfounded. How is the current government's stance on this issue different from that of the previous government?

Vishwa Dhana, ANI: Sir, this is Vishwa Dhana from ANI. I have a question regarding the safety and security of Indian students in Canada. We have seen attacks on Indian students. Was this issue discussed between the two leaders? And has there been any assurances given by the Canadian Prime Minister?

Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East): I think at least three of the questions are related, the way I see it. One on Khalistani extremists, transnational repression, and the Nijjar case. I will try and address them together.

Let me once again underline that India categorically rejects allegations of involvement in transnational violence or organised crime. These claims are baseless, politically motivated, and unsupported by credible evidence, despite repeated requests. India believes that concerns of this nature must be addressed through credible law enforcement and judicial processes, not through public or politicised narratives.

On the Nijjar case, we understand that the criminal investigation is proceeding as per established legal procedures. I understand the proceedings have entered something called the voir dire phase. And on completion of this stage, it will move to the full jury trial stage, etc. The Canadians have an established legal procedure, and it will proceed as per that procedure.

India has consistently maintained its commitment to the judicial process. And we believe that sensitive matters, once again to underline, under judicial consideration are best allowed to proceed through established legal processes without public commentary.

Students' population, you had asked about it. Prime Minister Carney again, at least twice in various discussions today, mentioned that there are 400,000 Indian students in Canada studying there. Which is twice the number in the US and four times the number in the UK.

You know, there's been a broad popular pressure on politics in Canada that too many foreign students coming into Canada put pressure on the job market, put pressure on infrastructure and other citizen services available in Canada. So as part of that, they seem to have moved in a direction where there are restrictions coming in terms of the number of students they are willing to take in the future. I suppose it is up to every country to decide how much student intake their systems can handle. And it is up to them to make an assessment based on their own assessed capacities.

So our aim is to try and take the benefit of high-quality Canadian educational institutions, and find ways to partner with them. Apparently, there are multiple partnerships that are envisaged in terms of hybrid campuses. The Prime Minister also invited Canadian universities to set up campuses in India. There are R&D partnerships that are spoken of. So there are these multiple alternate approaches being tried.

At some point, if opportunities open up for our youngsters to go back in numbers that are comparable to what we saw in the past, it will be good. I think one approach is also to have a system where a semester or semesters abroad can be taken up as part of this educational cooperation.

We also understand that Canada is currently undertaking reforms in its visa and immigration policies. Like I said, there is pressure on medical and housing services. But mobility is something both are working on. Like I said, there is an education MOU and we continue to discuss multiple MOUs that speak of mobility pathways between India and Canada.

IORA and Defence. You know, Canada wants to be a dialogue partner for IORA. That interest was expressed. It also finds a place in the joint statement that we issued. India has supported that. We think that there are a number of areas in which we can work together with Canada and benefit from their expertise and experience in terms of maritime security, in terms of clean energy experience, sustainable development, and so on. So we think that IORA as an organisation will benefit from a partnership with Canada.

In terms of defence, there were several points that were mentioned. Prime Minister Carney mentioned that he would welcome deeper defence relations with India through professional military exchanges, joint training opportunities, a new maritime security partnership, defence supply chain resilience, defence materiel cooperation, and also some kind of a defence industrial partnership. And cyber security, of course.

We will be soon initiating a Canada-India Defence Dialogue at the Joint Secretary level. This will exchange views on respective defence policies, regional and global security developments, and strategic outlooks to identify opportunities.

It was also mentioned by Prime Minister Carney that they plan to increase their defence expenditure as a percentage of GDP to align with NATO's new targets. He also particularly noted that they plan to spend about $500 billion over the next decade in the area of upgrading their defence preparedness. He also mentioned that diversification is a priority in terms of defence partnerships and defence procurement.

So all these open up good opportunities for India and Canada to work together, be it co-development or co-production, etc. And we think these are areas where the two governments and the private sectors will find opportunities to work together.

Unidentified Speaker: [inaudible]

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson:Safety of Indian students…

Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East):See, our Consulates and our High Commission are in touch with our students, our community bodies, etc., and they will take all necessary steps to work with Canadian security agencies and law enforcement to try and provide all possible assistance to students who face any difficulties in Canada.

Sudhi Ranjan, Bloomberg:Sir, Sudhi Ranjan from Bloomberg. Just a clarification, sir, in the discussions on the West Asia situation, did any of the leaders refer to or talk about the killing of a head of a state? And did India also brief or give any, you know, understanding about its discussions with Gulf partners that the Prime Minister has had or Israel? Was any understanding passed over?

Ayanangsha Maitra:Sir, this is Ayanangsha Maitra. Sir, about a million work permits in Canada are set to expire in this year. So is there any discussion on recruiting skilled Indians? Thank you.

Neeraj Dubey, Prabhasakshi:Sir namaskar, main Neeraj Dubey, Prabhasakshi se. Sir raksha udyog sahyog mein sanyukt utpadan ki baat hui hai, kuch sahyog ki baat hui hai toh kya jo sanyukt utpadan aur technology transfer par bhi kuch baatcheet hui hai? Aatankwad aur ugrwad par sahyog ki baat kahi gayi hai, kya dono deshon ne koi vishesh tantra ya koi sanyukt karya bal banane ki baat sochi hai?

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, greetings. I am Neeraj Dubey from Prabhasakshi. Sir, in the area of defence industry cooperation, there has been mention of joint production and other forms of collaboration. So, was there any discussion specifically on joint production and technology transfer as well? It has also been said that there will be cooperation on terrorism and extremism. Have the two countries considered establishing any special mechanism or a joint working group in this regard?

Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East): Okay. You asked about Iran again. Prime Minister did mention that he had a conversation late last night with the Prime Minister of Israel and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed of UAE. In addition, you know, the broad discussion, the thrust of the discussions were about how we are all concerned about the escalating situation in Iran. How dialogue and diplomacy should be the norm to resolve all underlying issues and how there should not be any targeting of civilians who have nothing to do with this. So broadly that was the thrust of the discussions, there was nothing else very specifically discussed on the kind of points that you are talking about.

Let me answer the one on security cooperation first and then I'll go back to the other questions.

Aapne pehle bhi poocha tha … main ne pehle bhi bataya tha English mein ki security cooperation Canada aur India ke beech mein kya kya aspects ko cover karta hai. Dono NSAs ke beech mein security cooperation ke upar baat hui thi. Do baar ho chuki hai, ek baar September 2025 mein aur ek baar February 2026 mein, ek baar Delhi mein aur ek baar Ottawa mein. Saare jo initiatives liye ja rahe hain, safety and securities of the countries aur citizens ke beech mein aur unke dialogue ke baad jo functional level, senior official level discussions hain aur law enforcement agencies ke beech mein jo cooperation chal rahi hai. RCMP aur NIA ke beech mein, NIA aur IB ke beech mein, aur double, two plus two dialogues bhi chal rahe hain, NIA aur IB on our side and RCMP aur CSIS unki taraf se.

Toh kaafi kaam chal rahi hai, jo security issues baar baar pehle baat kiye gaye hain unke upar. Aur jo JWG on Counter Terrorism hai usmein bhi common issues ke upar baat chal rahi hai, jaise ki main ne bataya tha extradition vagairah consular dialogue mechanism mein bhi discuss kiye ja rahe hain. Liaison officers dono side mein appoint kiye ja chuke hain aur woh coordinate karenge follow up karne ke liye dialogue process ke beech mein. Aur yahi hai ki continuous dialogue jaari hai aur follow up karte rahenge dono taraf se. Aur cyber security issues aur cyber security policies ke upar bhi cooperation chal rahi hai, especially immigration enforcement aur immigration fraud ko address karne ke liye. Toh usmein bhi kaafi positive movement hua hai.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] You had asked this earlier as well, and I had already explained in English what aspects of security cooperation between Canada and India cover. There have been discussions on security cooperation between the two National Security Advisors (NSAs). These meetings have taken place twice - once in September 2025 and once in February 2026 - one in Delhi and the other in Ottawa. All the initiatives being undertaken relate to the safety and security of both countries and their citizens. Following their dialogue, discussions have continued at the functional and senior official levels, along with ongoing cooperation between law enforcement agencies.

There is cooperation between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). In addition, "two-plus-two" style dialogues are also taking place - involving the NIA and IB on our side, and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and RCMP on their side. So, a significant amount of work is ongoing on the security issues that have been discussed repeatedly in the past.

Within the Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism (JWG), discussions are continuing on common concerns. As I mentioned earlier, matters such as extradition are also being discussed through the consular dialogue mechanism. Liaison officers have been appointed on both sides, and they will coordinate to ensure follow-up between the dialogue processes. The key point is that continuous engagement is underway, and both sides will keep actively following up. Cooperation is also progressing on cybersecurity issues and cybersecurity policies, particularly to address immigration enforcement and immigration fraud. There has been considerable positive movement in that area as well.

Somebody asked about immigration... students... yeah, you are talking about, you know, a million work permits expiring this year and how this will affect us, etc. It is natural for various countries to fix their own immigration targets and we will be closely watching it. So, the Canadians also have fixed their own immigration targets. They would like to bring their non-permanent visa holders to be roughly at 5% of their overall population. I mean, this is a sovereign issue, they are free to fix the numbers. We will have to try and address the consequences in a way that protects our interests. You know, there is some concern given that a large number of Indian nationals will be affected. We will continue to take them up through diplomatic channels and find a solution that is humane and sensitive to their concerns.

Defence production, I think I already went into great detail on that. I'm not sure I have anything new to add on defence production.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Thank you, sir. With that, ladies and gentlemen, we come to the close of this press briefing. Thank you.

New Delhi
March 02, 2026