Minister of National Defence Harjit S. Sajjan met with India’s Minister of Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley, today during Minister Sajjan’s first trip to India as Minister. The meeting was an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral relations between Canada and India.

“Canada is committed to working together with India to strengthen our ability to protect our shared security, as well as uphold and promote democratic values. Our growing defence relationship is a fundamental component of our efforts to reinforce global security. Our two countries already share a promising science and technology relationship based on innovation, and we will continue to explore ways to expand these opportunities in the field of defence research for the mutual benefit of our respective countries.”

— Harjit S. Sajjan, Defence Minister

• India is an important geopolitical country in the Asia Pacific region.  

• During their meeting Minister Sajjan and Minister Jaitley discussed the complexity of geopolitical dynamics and the challenges this brings to the stability of the international system. For example, they discussed the security environment as increasingly threatened by issues that require international cooperation, such as terrorism.

• Canada and India have long standing bilateral relations, built upon shared traditions of democracy. Bilateral relations have seen a transformation in recent years due to expanding economic engagement, regular high level interactions, and long-standing people-to-people ties, with over one million people of Indian origin living in Canada.

• The Ministers recognized the strong bilateral relationship between Canada and India, and that closer defence cooperation will contribute to the promotion of global peace and security.

• Canada considers its relations with its Asia-Pacific neighbours a priority. Canadian security and prosperity are linked to the vitality of Asia’s economy and the stability of the region. In support of this agenda, the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces are committed to strengthening peace and security in the region and enhancing their engagement in Asia-Pacific.

Renée Filiatrault
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of National Defence
Phone: 613-996-3100

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