New Delhi (NVI): Amid strains in bilateral ties, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought Covid vaccines, which the Indian leader promised to help with.
The phone call from Trudeau to Modi came two months after the Canadian leader commented on the ongoing farmers’ protests in India and said he was “concerned”, evoking a sharp retort from India which termed his remarks as “ill-informed” and “unwarranted”.
The External Affairs Ministry had also summoned Canadian High Commissioner in Delhi on December 4 last year and warned that comments made by Trudeau and some other ministers of Canada could have “seriously damaging impact” on the bilateral relations.
Giving details of the phone call, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that Prime Minister Trudeau “informed” Prime Minister Modi about Canada’s requirements of COVID-19 vaccines from India.
“Prime Minister assured the Canadian PM that India would do its best to support Canada’s vaccination efforts, just as it had done for many other countries already,” the statement said.
“Expressing his appreciation, Prime Minister Trudeau said that if the world managed to conquer COVID-19, it would be significantly because of India’s tremendous pharmaceutical capacity, and Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in sharing this capacity with the world. Prime Minister thanked PM Trudeau for his sentiments,” the MEA said.
It said the two leaders also reiterated the common perspective shared by India and Canada on many important geo-political issues and agreed to continue the close collaboration between both countries in fighting global challenges like Climate Change and the economic impacts of the pandemic.
“The leaders looked forward to meeting each other in various important international fora later this year, and continuing their discussions on all issues of mutual interest,” the MEA said.
A readout from Canadian Prime Minister’s office said, “The two leaders had an exchange on their respective efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, protect the health and safety of their people, and provide economic support for their citizens.”
It added, ”Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Modi spoke about India’s significant efforts in promoting vaccine production and supply, which have provided vital support to countries around the world. The two leaders agreed to work together on access to vaccines.”
The leaders also recognized the need for continued global coordination to respond to the pandemic and to promote recovery, the Canadian statement said.
The two prime ministers also reaffirmed their common interests in a free and open Indo-Pacific, and the importance of working together on global challenges such as climate change, strengthening global trade, and reinforcing the rules-based international order, it said.
“The leaders discussed Canada and India’s commitment to democratic principles, recent protests, and the importance of resolving issues through dialogue. They underlined the need to work collectively in rebuilding a more sustainable and resilient global economy,” the Canadian statement said.
“The leaders underscored the importance of the Canada-India strategic partnership anchored in shared values, strong people-to-people ties, and growing bilateral economic cooperation,” it added.
The two leaders looked forward to working together at the G7, G20, and other international forums.
