TORONTO — Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Canada is working to protect citizens in the Middle East amid escalating hostilities while also advancing a broader push to diversify trade and deepen partnerships with countries including India.Speaking Tuesday at the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Anand said approximately 100,000 Canadians are in the Middle East region and that Ottawa’s immediate priority is their safety.She said she spent the weekend speaking with foreign ministers from Gulf and Middle Eastern countries about supports for Canadians, including discussions about potential access to viable airspace if evacuations become necessary. Canada is advising citizens in affected areas to shelter in place.Anand reiterated Canada’s long-standing position that Iranian nuclear proliferation is unacceptable and said Ottawa continues to press for protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. She said Canada is seeking to play a diplomatic role in encouraging a cessation of hostilities and a negotiated resolution..The comments came hours after Anand returned from India, where she and Prime Minister Mark Carney advanced a renewed bilateral agenda.Anand described the approach as applying what she called “principled pragmatism,” linking foreign policy more directly to domestic economic growth.During the India visit, Canada and India agreed to move forward with negotiations toward a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, with a target of concluding talks by the end of 2026. Anand said the agreement is intended to expand trade beyond traditional partners and strengthen economic ties with what she described as a $4-trillion economy.She said discussions with India are proceeding on two tracks: one focused on public safety, security and rule of law issues; the other on economic cooperation in areas including artificial intelligence, agriculture, critical minerals and energy.Among the outcomes highlighted by Anand were:A $2.6-billion uranium supply agreement involving Cameco for civil nuclear use in India.A partnership involving 13 Canadian and Indian universities.A memorandum of understanding on AI and technology cooperation.An agreement between the Canadian Space Agency and the Indian Space Research Organization.Plans to establish a Canada-India defence dialogue.Anand said the India agreements form part of a broader diversification strategy, noting that Canada has concluded 12 agreements across four continents in the past six months.She urged business leaders to make use of trade infrastructure already in place, including trade missions and sector-specific agreements, to reduce reliance on the United States. While 85% of goods continue to move tariff-free under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, she acknowledged ongoing sectoral pressures in steel, aluminum, autos and lumber.Anand said the current geopolitical environment — including the conflict in the Middle East — underscores the need for Canada to balance security concerns with economic engagement.“We see the world as it is, not as we wish it to be,” she said, summarizing the government’s approach.She said Canada will continue pressing for a diplomatic resolution in the Middle East while pursuing trade diversification and new economic partnerships abroad.
