NEW DELHI (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Mumbai on Friday for his first official visit to India, aiming to reset relations and enhance trade cooperation with New Delhi after years of strain under his predecessor.

During his four-day trip, Carney is scheduled to engage with business leaders and hold discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday. India's foreign ministry stated that the upcoming meeting presents an opportunity to reaffirm "the positive momentum and shared vision" that could drive a progressive partnership forward. Anticipated discussions between Modi and Carney are expected to encompass cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, energy, critical minerals, and technology.

As part of his broader trade initiative, Carney plans to visit Australia and Japan next week, aiming to diversify Canada's trade relationships beyond the United States. He has set an ambitious target for Canada to double its non-U.S. exports over the next decade, using the backdrop of American tariffs which he claims have adversely affected investment.

The backdrop to this visit presents a complex narrative, particularly after relations dwelled in tension following allegations that Canadian authorities implicated India in the assassination of a Sikh activist near Vancouver in June 2023. New Delhi strongly rejected these claims, retaliating with accusations against the former Canadian administration of supporting Sikh extremists from the Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent homeland for Sikhs and is outlawed in India.

However, relations saw a positive shift last June when Carney extended an invitation to Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta, indicating a potential thaw in bilateral ties. Canada joins a list of nations raising similar allegations against Indian officials, with 2023 also marking U.S. federal accusations against an Indian official concerning another alleged assassination plot against a Sikh separatist in New York. A conspirator from India admitted earlier this month to attempting to hire a hitman for this purpose, heightening the ongoing scrutiny of Indian actions abroad.