PM Modi congratulates Canada's Mark Carney on Liberal Party's win

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated Canadian leader Mark Carney on the electoral success of his Liberal Party, emphasising that India and Canada are bound by shared democratic values and "a steadfast commitment to the rule of law".

"Congratulations @MarkJCarney on your election as the Prime Minister of Canada and to the Liberal Party on their victory. India and Canada are bound by shared democratic values, a steadfast commitment to the rule of law, and vibrant people-to-people ties (sic)," PM Modi said in a post on X.

The Prime Minister said he was looking forward to "unlocking greater opportunities" for the people of the two nations.

Carney’s Liberal Party is projected to win the federal election after Monday's voting, marking a dramatic political comeback driven by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats.

Following the close of voting, the Liberals were projected to secure more seats in the 343-member Parliament than the Conservative Party, though it remained uncertain whether they had achieved a clear majority or would require support from smaller parties to govern and pass legislation.

The relations between India and Canada have been tense since 2023 when Justin Trudeau, Carney's predecessor, accused India of its alleged involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. The incident led to diplomatic expulsions and a significant erosion of trust between New Delhi and Ottara.

Carney, who took over from Trudeau, has signalled a willingness to mend fences with India. In his campaign, Carney identified rebuilding ties with India as a priority.

"What Canada will be looking to do is to diversify our trading relationships with like-minded countries, and there are opportunities to rebuild the relationship with India. There needs to be a shared sense of values around that commercial relationship, and if I am Prime Minister, I look forward to the opportunity to build that," he had said.

A day before the election, Carney emphasised in an interview that the Canada-India relationship was "incredibly important".

"It's an incredibly important relationship on many levels—personal, economic, and strategic," said Carney.

Carney has yet to directly address the killing of Nijjar. He had noted that the "strains on the relationship" could be resolved through mutual respect.