Evian [France], June 17 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, and highlighted the importance of resilient and reliable global energy and food security supply chains.

According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two leaders met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, France, on Tuesday and reviewed the growing momentum in bilateral relations.

As per the MEA, the Prime Ministers welcomed the positive trajectory of India-Canada ties and expressed satisfaction over the progress achieved since Prime Minister Carney's visit to India in March this year.

Reaffirming their commitment to a forward-looking strategic partnership, the leaders highlighted the complementarities between the Indian and Canadian economies and stressed the significance of resilient supply chains in ensuring global energy and food security.

The two sides also reviewed developments in bilateral economic cooperation, including commercial arrangements related to liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and metallurgical coal, the MEA said.

The leaders welcomed the continued exchange of high-level visits between the two countries. They took note of the recent visit of Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to Canada and looked forward to a Canadian trade mission to India later this year, which will be led by Canada's Minister of International Trade.

Goyal was on a three-day visit to Canada last month, where he met prominent industry leaders and discussed investment avenues and expanding bilateral economic partnerships.

According to the MEA, both sides expressed satisfaction with the progress made in negotiations towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the agreement in 2026.

The two Prime Ministers also reviewed growing institutional engagement between the two governments, including recent meetings of the Joint Science and Technology Committee and the Consular Dialogue. They looked forward to upcoming dialogues in the fields of defence, finance and migration.

In a significant step towards strengthening security cooperation, the leaders agreed to launch negotiations on a General Security of Information Agreement (GSOIA). They also welcomed recent exchanges between defence institutions, including the visit of India's National Defence College to Canada.

The MEA said the leaders acknowledged ongoing collaboration under the Canada-India Talent and Innovation Strategy, aimed at strengthening skill development, innovation partnerships and educational cooperation between institutions in both countries.

PM Modi also expressed India's support for Canada's bid to become a Dialogue Partner of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

The two leaders further announced the establishment of Raisina Americas, a new platform intended to deepen dialogue, exchanges and cooperation between India and Canada.

PM Modi thanked Prime Minister Carney for his invitation to visit Canada later this year. Both sides agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to finalise the dates for the visit, the MEA added.

Following the meeting, PM Narendra Modi posted on X, 'It was a delight to meet Prime Minister Carney on the sidelines of the Evian G7 Summit. In less than a year, it is our fourth meeting, indicating our commitment to strong India-Canada ties. We reviewed the full range of relations between our nations, notably the ground covered since we last met.' (ANI)