May 14, 2025
3 mins read

Jaishankar’s Warm Wishes to Anita Anand on Her New Role

Indian-origin Canadian politician Anita Ananda has been sworn in as the country’s Foreign Minister after a major Cabinet reshuffle..reports Asian Lite News

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar congratulated his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, on her appointment as the Foreign Minister.

“Congratulate Anita Anand on your appointment as Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs,” he posted on X.

Indian-origin Canadian politician Anita Ananda has been sworn in as the country’s Foreign Minister after a major Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Mark Carney, focussing on “mandate for change.”

Taking to X, Anand posted, “I am honoured to be named Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. I look forward to working with Prime Minister Mark Carney and our team to build a safer, fairer world and deliver for Canadians.”

One of Anand’s missions will be to pilot the reset of the almost ruptured ties with India that Carney signalled, while managing the delicate relations with President Donald Trump’s America.

Announcing the new Cabinet of 28 ministers, Carney instructed them to “bring new ideas, a clear focus and decisive actions to their work.”

He also appointed Maninder Sidhu as the international trade minister, and two others of Indian descent as secretaries of state, the equivalent of ministers of state.

Anand, who was the transport minister and had earlier held the Defence portfolio, said in January that she was leaving politics and returning to academia.

However, Carney persuaded her to return to the Cabinet and take the foreign affairs portfolio after she was re-elected in last month’s election.

Carney, who inherited former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet, now has a chance to put his mark after having led the Liberal Party to victory, beating the odds in last month’s election.

He cut the number of ministers from 39 in Trudeau’s Cabinet to 28, and three politicians of Indian origin in the last Cabinet do not find a place now.

Anand replaces Melanie Joly, who has been moved to the transport and internal trade ministry that she had held.

Joly ratcheted up the tensions with India, expelling six Indian diplomats last year, alleging that they were “persons of interest” in the assassination of Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India has denied any involvement in the murky case where there were signs of gang warfare, and it expelled Canadian diplomats in retaliation.

Carney, who has called relations with India “incredibly important,” said of the ties with India on the eve of the elections that “there is a path forward to address those with mutual respect and to build out.”

The relations spiralled under Trudeau, who depended on the New Democratic Party led by Jagmeet Singh, an alleged Khalistan sympathiser, to stay in power.

The new Cabinet has fewer Canadians of Indian descent.

Harjit Singh Sajjan, who was a former Defence minister and held the Emergency preparedness portfolio in the last Cabinet, did not seek re-election to the House of Commons and left.

Ruby Sahota, who was the minister of democratic institutions, has been downgraded to a secretary of state and put in charge of combating crime.

Randeep Sarai is another of the ten secretaries of state and will deal with international development.

From the last Cabinet, Arif Virani, who was the justice minister and attorney-general, and Kamal Khera, who held the diversity and inclusion of persons with disabilities portfolio, have been dropped by Carney.

Previous Story

India Rejects China’s ‘Preposterous’ Rename Bid

Next Story

Kashish Chaudhary Shatters Barriers as Balochistan’s First Hindu Woman Commissioner

Latest from -Top News

Trump Warns Musk: ‘Close Shop or Go Home’

Trump’s warning on his Truth Social platform late on Tuesday (US time) came amid the feud between him and Musk over the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’….reports Asian Lite News Former US President

India-US Trade Deal Likely This Week

The interim trade deal would be an initial step towards a comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement between Indian and the US….reports Asian Lite News India is expected to finalise an interim trade

One Year Later, Hasina’s Son Raises Red Flag

Hasina’s abrupt exit last August after violent student protests was widely seen as a blow to democracy in the Muslim-majority nation of 170 million….reports Asian Lite News Sajeeb Wazed, son of former

Global South Finds Its Campus in India

The question is no longer if India can attract global talent, but whether it can build the conditions to do so at scale—with care and vision. Done right, India could emerge as

Jaishankar Gets Real on India-US Ties

The EAM underlined the structural drivers of the bilateral relationship, saying, “The trend line over the last 25 years has actually been very strong….reports Asian Lite News External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Indian Troops Withdraw from Maldives

The Mohamed Muizzu-led Maldives government has formally requested that India

Navy to shed ‘colonial past,’ PM set to unveil new ensign

Vikrant will strengthen India’s deterrence against China, navy vice chief