Canada's International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, speaking at Friday's meeting, put forward the view that bilateral security talks between India and Canada carry real weight in tackling threats spanning violent extremism, organised crime, money laundering, and cross-border operations, and that progress on trade and on security tends to move together.

In remarks carried by a news outlet, Sidhu described the talks as intended to safeguard communities across both nations while honouring each side's sovereign standing, adding that economic and security matters were, in his view, inseparable strands of the broader conversation. Oversight of the security dialogue has been placed in the hands of the Public Safety Minister.

Sidhu noted that the previous week had brought senior government officials from Canada to India for those discussions, adding that the security dialogue was aimed at protecting communities from threats including violent extremism, organised crime, money laundering, and transnational operations. He described the point as one of considerable weight.

Sidhu's comments followed three days of talks between the National Security Advisers of both countries, held in the capital from 5 to 7 October. The minister conveyed through a direct quote that mutual respect for each nation's sovereignty would guide the ongoing exchange, which both sides have framed as part of broader efforts to advance security and law enforcement ties.

A joint press release indicated that David Morrison, who holds the role of Senior Diplomatic and International Affairs Adviser to the Canadian Prime Minister, travelled to meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval at Doval's invitation, with the talks taking place over the course of that visit.

Talks between the two parties covered ground on joint security arrangements and law enforcement coordination, with particular attention to how the shared Security Work Plan — finalised in February 2026 — was being put into practice.

At the talks, the two sides committed to broadening their joint efforts across a range of shared security concerns — from organised crime networks operating across borders and acts of terrorism and violent extremism, to the trafficking of people and narcotics, as well as cybercrime and extortion — and to advancing the framework governing the handover of criminal fugitives between the two countries.

Talks on cybersecurity and economic security, among the areas where structured dialogue was proposed, formed part of a broader pledge by both parties to pursue further avenues of practical cooperation. Bolstering existing institutional frameworks and opening new lines of communication — where the parties judged it warranted — emerged as a recurring theme, with both sides pointing to faster, more reliable exchanges on shared concerns as a priority going forward.

According to the joint statement, both nations had built a working relationship over the preceding twelve months rooted in reciprocal trust, an awareness of each other's priorities, and a shared drive to deepen their ties.

Both delegations expressed support for moving forward on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement while also raising the question of how a meaningful defence partnership between the two countries might take shape, guided by the priorities their respective leaderships have set out.

Delegates gathered in Ottawa for a five-day stretch running from October 5 through October 9, working through a broad agenda that spanned goods and services market access, investment provisions, rules of origin, intellectual property rights, and trade remedies. Talks are scheduled to reconvene in New Delhi in early November.