Sidhu indicated that high-level political and trade exchanges were also on the agenda, confirming that Canada was preparing to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this year.
Canada and India are holding security and law enforcement discussions as the two countries seek to improve bilateral relations amid continuing concerns over Khalistani extremism, Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu has said, signalling a parallel push to strengthen economic ties.
Sidhu, while speaking with ANI, confirmed that a security dialogue had taken place between senior officials of the two countries, emphasising that Ottawa’s priority was to ensure the safety of communities while allowing peaceful protests.
“I can confirm that a law enforcement dialogue is happening between both countries. As I said last week, a security dialogue took place between the highest authorities,” Sidhu said.
“We want to make sure that our communities are kept safe,” he added, referring to concerns around protests in both countries that had also been raised by the Canadian High Commissioner.
Underlining Canada’s position on freedom of expression, Sidhu said protests were an integral part of a mature democracy but should not involve violence. “In a mature democracy, you welcome protests, but without the use of violence. That’s very important in Canada. You are allowed to protest,” he said, reiterating the Canadian government’s commitment to a united country where all communities could feel secure.
“Of course, we want to continue keeping our communities safe, and we’ll continue having that dialogue,” he added.
The remarks come as New Delhi and Ottawa work to stabilise ties strained by disagreements over allegations of Khalistani extremist activities and India’s concerns about the use of Canadian territory by separatist elements. The security dialogue assumes significance as both governments look to address sensitive issues through official channels while exploring avenues for cooperation.
Mumbai: Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Maninder Sidhu, says, “I can confirm that we’re looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Modi this year…I’m also very much looking forward to hosting Minister Goyal again in Canada as we continue to build on our economic ties.”
On the improvement in India-Canada relations, he says, “What I can do is speak about how relations are changing under our new government. We took office in April last year, as you know, and since then, we’ve been building relationships with partners around the world. We’re having conversations behind closed doors about important issues for Canada. At the same time, my job as the Minister of International Trade is to continue finding opportunities. Prime Minister Carney has tasked me with creating more opportunities and increasing non-US exports by $300 billion by 2035. Last year, our non-US exports grew by 17%, amounting to $33 billion…”
— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2026
Alongside the security engagement, Sidhu indicated that high-level political and trade exchanges were also on the agenda, confirming that Canada was preparing to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this year. “I can confirm that we’re looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Modi this year,” he said, adding that he was also keen to welcome Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal back to Canada to build on economic cooperation.
Speaking about the broader improvement in relations, Sidhu said the government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney had been working to rebuild partnerships since taking office in April last year. “What I can do is speak about how relations are changing under our new government,” he said, adding that Ottawa was continuing discussions on issues important to Canada while pursuing fresh trade opportunities.