Canada`s new year gift to India |
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau`s elevation of Chrystia Freeland as the new foreign minister in the first major overhaul of his Cabinet will be seen with optimism in India as she has played a role in trying to boost bilateral relations. Freeland, a former journalist, will replace Stephane Dion, who was dropped from the Cabinet that Trudeau formed in November 2015. Freeland, elected to the House of Commons from a Toronto constituency, was earlier minister of international trade. As international trade minister, Freeland travelled to meet and establish a rapport with India`s commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman when she visited Toronto in the autumn of 2016. Days later, Freeland travelled again from Ottawa for a meeting with finance minister Arun Jaitley, also in Toronto. There is appreciation of 48-year-old Freeland`s role in trying to accelerate negotiations for two pending trade and economic agreements between the two countries, as well as her attitude towards India. Freeland`s immediate priority will be to deal with the imminent Donald Trump presidency in the United States. Two, she may soon be tasked with creating the framework for Trudeau`s visit to India in 2017.
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