Carney likely to visit India in March as Canada seeks to diversify trade

India's High Commissioner said Prime Minister Mark Carney will likely visit India in the first week of March and is expected to sign agreements on energy, minerals and technology; formal negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement are also expected to begin in March.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to visit India in the first week of March, Dinesh Patnaik, India's High Commissioner to Canada, said in an interview. The visit would come as part of Carney's effort to broaden Canada's trade partnerships beyond its long-standing reliance on the United States. Officials say the trip would include smaller agreements across nuclear energy, oil and gas, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and education. Carney's office declined to comment on the timing. Key details: - India’s High Commissioner Dinesh Patnaik said the visit is likely in the first week of March. - Patnaik said Carney would sign agreements on nuclear energy, oil and gas, the environment, AI and quantum computing, and on education and culture; he added a 10-year $2.8-billion uranium supply deal is likely to be included. - Formal negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with India should start in March, after both sides agreed to restart stalled talks in November. - Canada’s Energy Minister Tim Hodgson is visiting India and said the timing of Carney’s trip is not yet set; Hodgson did not confirm the uranium deal but said Canada is willing to sell uranium under the Canada‑India nuclear co‑operation agreement if international safeguards are met. - The coverage notes Carney has been pursuing wider trade ties, including a recent tariff agreement with China on electric vehicles and canola and remarks at Davos about the changing international order. Summary: If confirmed, a March visit would move forward smaller agreements on energy, minerals and technology and precede the planned start of formal trade negotiations in March. India’s Commerce and Finance ministers are also likely to visit Canada soon, and India’s National Security Advisor is scheduled to visit Ottawa next month as part of ongoing engagements. The exact timing of the prime minister’s trip remains unconfirmed.