OTTAWA, O.N. – With just one week until world leaders arrive in Alberta, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office has outlined its official priorities for the G7 summit, focusing on global peace, energy security, and new economic partnerships. However, the agenda has been overshadowed by the government’s controversial decision to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The summit, taking place in Kananaskis from June 15-17, will see Canada host leaders from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and the E.U. Ottawa says its goals include countering foreign interference, strengthening critical mineral supply chains, and responding to wildfires.
However, the main point of debate is the guest list. Prime Minister Carney has invited several leaders from outside the G7, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leaders of Australia, South Africa, and Brazil. The inclusion of India’s Prime Minister Modi has drawn sharp condemnation from the federal NDP and major Sikh organizations in Canada.
Critics point to the ongoing RCMP investigation into allegations that the Indian government was involved in the murder of a Sikh leader near Vancouver two years ago. For the established Sikh communities in the Skeena region, the issue is deeply personal.
Supriya Dwivedi, a former advisor to Justin Trudeau, blasted the decision, writing that the government was “thinking some Canadian lives matter more than others.”
Defending the invitation at a news conference on Saturday, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand insisted that the government “will not undermine” the RCMP investigation.
“The fact that leaders from a number of countries have been invited to this meeting does not, and should not, detract from the importance of the independent investigation that is ongoing,” Anand stated. She added that the summit allows for discussion on “very serious issues that affect the global economy and the geostrategic environment.”
The debate highlights the complex line the Canadian government is walking between addressing serious criminal allegations and maintaining diplomatic and economic ties with a global power. For many in the Skeena, the discussions in the Rocky Mountains next week will be watched with keen interest, as the outcomes could have repercussions that are felt far beyond the summit’s walls.
