Envoy Cameron Mackay at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit emphasized that over 100 Indian companies have invested in Canada and over 600 Canadian companies are present in India
Our Bureau
Gandhinagar, India
Cameron Mackay, Canada’s High Commissioner to India conveyed at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit on Thursday that despite the tensions in recent times, the strategic interests of India and Canada are “absolutely aligned”, and he was particularly happy to see the continuance of bilateral trade and investment relationship.
The bitterness in the relationship between the two countries last year in response to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation about India’s suspected involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada has developed into a scenario of a complete thaw in the relationship between two countries. India has denied the allegation as absurd and made a point that India has been convicted without any proof.
“In the past months, it has been a time of some tensions between our two countries. It is no secret. But I am encouraged by leadership and vision of business community present here and outside the room to continue with trade and investment relationship which is in the interest of both of our countries,” said Mackay.
He expects that the business-to-business ties will support job creation, technology partnership, and prosperity of both countries, while in particular emphasizing that this annual gathering of investors was a “great platform to reassert our business to business and people to people ties.”
“My advice to my government and that to the Indian government and business community on both sides is to let the governments do what they are doing, let the government do diplomacy but everyone knows that in the long term, Canada’s strategic interest and India’s strategic interest are absolutely aligned,” the high commissioner said.
“Over 100 Indian companies have invested in Canada and over 600 Canadian companies are present in India,” he added further
