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3 min readNew DelhiFeb 9, 2026 04:27 AM IST
File photo of NSA Ajit Doval with his Canadian counterpart Nathalie Drouin. Doval met Drouin during his visit to Ottawa on February 6-7.
In a first, India and Canada have agreed to appoint security liaison officers to enable information-sharing on drug-trafficking and transnational organised criminal networks. This comes after the two-day visit of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to Ottawa on February 6-7, where he met Nathalie Drouin, National Security and Intelligence Advisor to Canadian PM Mark Carney.
In a statement released after the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday that the two sides acknowledged the progress on initiatives aimed at supporting the safety and security of their countries and citizens.
“They agreed to a shared work plan to guide bilateral cooperation on national security and law enforcement issues and to enable practical collaboration on respective priorities,” the MEA said, adding that the visit was part of regular bilateral security dialogue between the two sides.
New Delhi and Ottawa are undergoing a significant diplomatic reset over the last one year, since the beginning of Carney’s term as PM – shifting from a major chill over the Hardeep Singh Nijjar assassination in 2023 to a pragmatic partnership. Key initiatives include a potential $2-plus billion uranium deal, revived trade negotiations (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) and renewed cooperation in critical minerals, security and counter-terrorism.
Prime Minister Carney is expected to visit India some time this year to cement ties, although there has been no official announcement by either side on the dates of the visit. This follows a “positive” meeting between Modi and Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis in June last year.
Ever since, India and Canada have taken calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, starting with the “early return of High Commissioners to each other’s capitals”.
In the recent meeting between Doval and his Canadian counterpart, MEA said, “It was agreed that each country would establish security and law-enforcement liaison officers and that their respective agencies would build on working relationships.”
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“This important step will help streamline bilateral communications and enable timely information- sharing on issues of mutual concern to Canada and India, such as the illegal flow of drugs, particularly fentanyl precursors, and transnational organized criminal networks,” said the statement.
Besides, as per MEA, the two countries are also committed to formalising cooperation on cybersecurity policy and information-sharing on cybersecurity issues, as well as continuing discussions on cooperation related to fraud and immigration enforcement. During his visit, Doval also had a meeting with Gary Anandasangaree, Minister for Public Safety of Canada, on Friday.
Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
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