Ottawa: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will embark on a high-stakes diplomatic mission to India, Australia, and Japan from Feb. 26 to March 7, marking his first major Indo-Pacific tour since taking office.

An official statement from the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday outlined a focused agenda aimed at securing multi-sectoral partnerships in trade, energy, technology, and defence. The trip represents a strategic pivot for Canada’s new government as it seeks to strengthen economic resilience amid global volatility.

"In a more uncertain world, Canada is focused on what we can control. We are diversifying our trade and attracting massive new investment to create new opportunities for our workers and businesses. We are forging new partnerships abroad to create greater certainty, security and prosperity at home," Carney was quoted as saying in the statement.

Focus on India

The tour begins in Mumbai before Carney travels to New Delhi to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This visit is the first by a Canadian leader since Carney succeeded Justin Trudeau and follows a period of recalibration in Ottawa's foreign policy.

The leaders aim to expand the Canada-India relationship through new initiatives in artificial intelligence (AI), culture, and defence. Central to the visit is the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), a trade deal formally launched at the 2025 G20 Summit that seeks to more than double two-way trade from $31 billion in 2024 to $70 billion by 2030.

"The leaders will focus on elevating and expanding the Canada-India relationship, with ambitious new partnerships in trade, energy, technology and artificial intelligence (AI), talent and culture, and defence," the statement read.

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Strengthening Ties with Australia and Japan

In Australia, Carney will meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Sydney and Canberra to discuss maritime security, critical minerals, and advanced technologies. Carney is also scheduled to deliver a historic address to both Houses of Australia’s Parliament, the first such speech by a Canadian Prime Minister in nearly two decades.

The final leg of the trip will take Carney to Tokyo for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae. The discussions will centre on clean energy, food security, and advanced manufacturing, while reinforcing a shared commitment to a "free and open Indo-Pacific."

A Strategy of Diversification

The Prime Minister's Office emphasised that the tour is part of a broader effort to build a "stronger, more independent, and more resilient economy" by cultivating a "dense web of new connections" throughout the world.

"Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that he will travel to India, Australia, and Japan... to unlock new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses across trade, energy, technology, and defence," the office stated, adding that Canada's abundance of critical minerals and energy makes it a vital partner in the changing global landscape.

With inputs from ANI