In an unexepcted move, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government requested a pause on trade talks with India. The decision came right ahead of the much awaited 18th G20 summit in India. PM Truedeau is also preparing to travel to New Delhi for the summit.
Accoridng to India's High Commissioner to Canada, Trudeau's team initiated the pause, which was first reported Friday by the Canadian Press.
"The Canadian side has suggested a 'pause' to the ongoing fast-paced negotiations on an early-progress trade agreement with India," Sanjay Kumar Verma said in an emailed statement.
"Though I am not aware of exact reason(s), most likely, the 'pause' will allow more consultations with the stakeholders", he added later.
Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
India-Canada Trade Relationship
Back in May, the Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal visited Ottawa and both sides appeared optimistic.
Canada shares an intermittent trade relationship with India which has found an unprecedented momentum in recent years in recent years during Trudeau's time in office in a bid to diversify its economy away from China. A trade deal with India is part of that broader Indo-Pacific strategy.
Canada also houses a vast Indian diiaspora including the largest Sikh population outside of India
