IndiaB次元官网网址檚 envoy to Canada says Ottawa has tapped the brakes on trade negotiations, just before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau heads to New Delhi.

Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma said Ottawa sought a pause B次元官网网址渨ithin the last monthB次元官网网址� to ongoing talks for an Early Progress Trade Agreement.

B次元官网网址淭he Canadian side has requested that, letB次元官网网址檚 take a pause; letB次元官网网址檚 see what can be done further, and then weB次元官网网址檒l restart,B次元官网网址� Verma said, in a wide-ranging interview ahead of next weekB次元官网网址檚 G20 summit in New Delhi.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not sure what the reason is. But there is an honest request from the Canadian side, and we have no reason not to accept it.B次元官网网址�

Since March 2022, the two countries have been negotiating a deal that would be restricted to certain industries, instead of spanning the entire economy.

The talks follow a five-year hiatus. Both countries had entered negotiations in 2010 for a comprehensive deal, but they abandoned the plans in 2017.

Verma said there has been an intense pace of negotiations, which he says reflects the earnestness of both nations wanting closer economic ties.

B次元官网网址淗aving 10 rounds in 13 months is a huge deal,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪ometimes it progressed so fast that stakeholders were not able to imbibe the outcome.B次元官网网址�

Verma is a former trade negotiator. He said itB次元官网网址檚 possible Ottawa sought time to better inform industry groups of the proposed deal.

B次元官网网址淥ur understanding is that there needs to be B次元官网网址� now that we are coming closer to the end of the negotiations B次元官网网址� probably more consultations with the stakeholders,B次元官网网址� he said, while stressing B次元官网网址渢hatB次元官网网址檚 my conjecture.B次元官网网址�

Trade Minister Mary Ng and Global Affairs Canada have been asked to comment.

In May, Ng said it was B次元官网网址渘ot going to be yearsB次元官网网址� by the time both sides sign a deal. Her comments came during a visit by her Indian counterpart, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.

At the time, the two issued a statement saying they seek B次元官网网址渆nhanced co-operationB次元官网网址� in the fields of B次元官网网址渁gricultural goods, chemicals, green technologies, infrastructure, automotive, clean energy, electronics and minerals and metals.B次元官网网址�

Nadir Patel, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 former high commissioner to India, said in an interview that trade between the two countries will rise no matter what, but a trade deal would be a boost for both economies.

B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檙e a Canadian business leader, India is a place that you want to be,B次元官网网址� said Patel, in an interview ahead of VermaB次元官网网址檚 comments.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 certainly a will on both sides to conclude a deal. But any deal has to be a win-win,B次元官网网址� said Patel, a senior strategic adviser with Norton Rose Fulbright Canada.

Ng is set to visit India in October for a Canadian trade mission.

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