Modi says Carney invited him to G7, 1st visit to Canada since RCMP linked India to killings, extortion

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited him to the G7 summit later this month in Alberta, making his first visit to Canada since the RCMP accused his government of acts of murder, extortion and coercion.

According to a readout from the Prime Minister's Office, the two leaders' spoke Friday morning and Carney extended an invitation to the gathering in Kananaskis in just over a week.

"Importantly, there was agreement to continued law enforcement dialogue and discussions addressing security concerns," read the statement from Carney's side.

In a social media post Friday Modi wrote that he looks forward to meeting a the summit.

"As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests," he wrote.

Last fall, the head of the RCMP laid out allegations accusing agents of the Indian government of playing a role in "widespread violence" in Canada, including homicides, and warned that it poses "a serious threat to our public safety."

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said his officers, working with other law enforcement agencies, have obtained evidence linking Indian government agents to homicides and other violent acts in Canada, including coercion and extortion.

The RCMP's comments came nearly a year after then prime minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada had evidence linking Indian agents to the killing of Canadian Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

New Delhi has denied the allegations.

Leaders from the G7 countries — Canada, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — along with the president of the European Commission are heading to Alberta for high-level meetings June 16-17.

Other leaders are often invited for side meetings. Modi, head of one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, has been invited to every G7 leaders' summit since 2019.

Carney has been under pressure to break with that tradition and his decision to invite Modi garnered swift condemnation from advocacy groups.

During the recent federal election campaign, Carney called the Canadian-Indian relationship "incredibly important."

"There are strains on that relationship that we didn't cause, to be clear," he said. "But there is a path forward to address those with mutual respect."