India and Canada begin the 5th round of CEPA talks in Ottawa, aiming to conclude the trade pact by end-2026 and boost bilateral trade, energy and critical mineral ties.
October 5, New Delhi(Rights Media): India and Canada will begin the 5th round of negotiations for their proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in Ottawa from October 5 as both sides aim to conclude the trade pact by the end of 2026. The 5-day round, led by the chief negotiators of the two countries, will continue till October 9.
The previous round concluded in New Delhi on 18th of September, with officials now pushing for faster progress towards a final agreement.
In March this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney set a year-end target to complete the negotiations for the CEPA between the two countries.
The two leaders also agreed to deepen bilateral collaboration in the energy and critical mineral sectors during their meeting in New Delhi.
According to the joint statement issued after their summit, the leaders expressed confidence that a comprehensive trade framework would serve as a durable economic anchor for the partnership and support the shared aspiration of expanding bilateral trade by 2030.