Dans l'actualité

Carney embarks on nine-day trade mission to India and other nations

CTV News, February 26, 2026

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt:  Nadjibulla says PM Carney is looking to "take that message of middle powers coming together to deal with the disruptions [Canada] is facing given what great powers like the U.S. and China are doing, to the region that's actually the most consequential to Canada's future economic prosperity and security." 

Mark Carney visit: Defence may play a major role in reset of India-Canada ties

Hindustan Times, February 26, 2026

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt:  “Canada and India have a strategic partnership already in place. Of course, a lot has changed since then. There's been ups and downs in the relationship. So this is really more about reviving that, but also putting in place a much more ambitious agenda," said Nadjibulla.

"So there could be areas to explore here, both on the industrial side, but also more generally, a strategic conversation about maritime security as well as the changing security dynamic in the lndo-Pacific," she added. "Canada has an lndo-Pacific strategy. India was identified in that strategy as a critical partner. Canada has advanced discussions around maritime security, maritime domain awareness with other partners in the region, and it will be interesting to see how far those discussions can now proceed with India now that we are in this new moment."

Canada and South Korea enter defense agreement due to ‘unpredictable global order’

Jurist News, February 26, 2026

Featuring: Jeehye Kim, Senior Program Manager, Northeast Asia, APF Canada 

Excerpt:  In December 2025, APF Canada hosted a roundtable discussion on the potential challenges of the Canada-South Korea defense partnership. 

“If effectively institutionalized and sustained, Canada-Korea co-operation – anchored in projects like the CPSP and broadened to include hybrid threats and emerging technologies – has the potential to serve as a model for middle-power alignment in an era of intensifying geopolitical competition."

After decades of mistrust and missteps, where do India and Canada fit together?

The Globe and Mail, February 26, 2026

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt:  “The history of Canada-India relations is one of many missed opportunities, roadblocks and mistrust,” said Vina Nadjibulla, “but there’s also a lot of potential in the relationship.”

A new foot forward in India

The Globe and Mail, February 26, 2026

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt:  Despite India’s size, Canada’s merchandise exports to the subcontinent were only $5.3-billion in 2024, less than 1 per cent of all Canadian exports that year. By comparison, Indian exports to Canada were $8-billion. “We are now the only country in the G7 that doesn’t have a preferential trade agreement with India,” said Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President of Research and Strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

...With both sides talking about tackling transnational organized criminal networks and the flow of illegal drugs, Nadjibulla described new law enforcement co-operation mechanisms that have been established between Canada and India as a “hotline” to resolve problems early.
 

Carney's India trip is all business: An inside look at what the PM has planned

CBC News, February 26, 2026

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt:  Nadjibulla said PM Carney's trip to India has the potential to be hugely significant — a chance to draw closer to an Indo-Pacific power, unlock billions in trade and bolster sectors hurt by the U.S. trade war.

Canada is having ‘a moment’ in Asia, global affairs expert says ahead of Carney trip

Canadian Press, February 26, 2026

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt:  Nadjibulla says the time is ripe for Prime Minister Mark Carney to expand ties in Asia, following heavy praise in the region for his World Economic Forum speech. Carney said middle powers need to band together to withstand coercion from countries like the United States, thereby undermining the world order.

"In Asia, Canada is having a moment. Prime Minister Carney's speech really was quite an important development in how Asia sees Canada... this is an actual palpable difference in the level of curiosity, in the desire to partner with Canada, and that is also true about India." 

Carney's speech received "wall to wall coverage for days in India and where is a desire to see what that could mean practically for [the nation] as part of [Carney's upcoming] visit" to New Delhi.

Carney follows up speech in Davos with trip to India, Australia, Japan

Toronto City News , February 26, 2026

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt: PM Mark Carney this morning for a 10-day visit to India, Australia, and Japan, a trip that will give Carney a chance to put into action his calls to action in Davos as he visits three “powerhouses of the region,” Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla said in an interview.

“The Indo-Pacific is where the centre of gravity for geopolitics and economic growth … is increasingly converging.” 

“In Asia, Canada is having a moment. Prime Minister Carney’s speech really was quite an important development in how Asia sees Canada."

Carney’s ‘bridge’ between the EU and the Pacific Rim trade deal likely to stop short of merging blocs, say observers

The Hill Times, February 25, 2026

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt: The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President, Research & Strategy, said that discussions about linking the CPTPP and the EU have been ongoing for more than two years, gaining momentum last November, which included a dialogue between the blocs on trade and investment. 

“The idea is that in the current environment of fragmentation of rules-based trade, and assault on the global trading order by President Trump’s tariffs, as well as China’s protectionism, that middle powers and other trading blocs need to work more closely together to create an alternative."

“...This is not just Prime Minister Carney’s initiative, but obviously [he] has taken an interest in it, and has elevated and given it political weight and momentum by raising it himself."

Opinion: How to leverage B.C.'s generational opportunity to expand trade and spur economic growth

Vancouver Sun, February 24, 2026

Featuring: APF Canada's Canada-in-Asia Conference 2026

Excerpt: Tamara Vrooman, President and CEO of the Vancouver International Airport (YVR), details her experience at CIAC2026 in a new op-ed published by the Vancouver Sun. 

After China, India is next on Canada’s foreign policy reset agenda

The Globe and Mail, February 24, 2026

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt: “The decision to enhance security cooperation is a significant development,” said Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President, Research & Strategy at the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada.

“I wouldn’t say the Khalistan issue has been pushed to the backdrop; rather, it is being addressed through the appropriate security and law-enforcement channels so it does not dominate the entire relationship."

“The visit to India, Australia and Japan is an opportunity to take his Davos message of middle power diplomacy to the Indo-Pacific. Carney’s visit to India this week will consolidate, elevate and expand the relationship.”

'Very Significant': Expert Highlights Mark Carney's India Agenda Ahead Of Key Meet With Modi

The Times of India, February 23, 2026

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt: Nadjibulla says PM Carney's visit to India next month will be a "very significant trip" that will aim a "consolidat[ing] the reset that the two prime ministers initiated last year on the margins of the G7... we will see most likely some MoU's and things around the defence sector" as a new area for Canada-India engagement. 

Nadjibulla said she was also expecting to see announcements around AI and technology security given the recent AI Impact Summit hosted recently in India. "most importantly this [trip] is about rebuilding trust... putting the relationship on a new footing... [and] sharing Canada's new foreign policy approach to partnerships and India is going to be a big part of that." 

Exclusive: Canada-India Partnership Set to Boost Trade and Diplomatic Ties During PM Carney Visit

WION News, February 24, 2026

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada

Excerpt: Nadjibulla says an important aspect of PM Carney's upcoming trip to India is Ottawa's ability to "rebuild strategic trust" with the Indian government and "public trust" between the two nations. 

"Public opinion is not catching up with the political reset and the political vision the two governments have... that's why it is so important that [Canada's] prime minister visit and speak in India with officials and also publicly. I do believe that there is an enormous opportunity here in the relationship, and we have to be steadfast in addressing the challenges."

Carney to visit Mumbai, New Delhi but not Punjab in business-focused India trip

The Globe and Mail, February 23, 2026

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt: The Prime Minister’s visit, announced Monday, begins Friday when his plane reaches India. His office said in a statement that he is heading to Mumbai, where he will meet with business leaders, and New Delhi, for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said she takes Mr. Carney’s itinerary as a sign that his foreign policy is “more focused on national interest and not limited to certain diaspora priorities.”

Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy needs an Indo-Pacific gear

The Hill Times, February 23, 2026

Guest Contributor: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt: "Canada’s new Defence Industrial Strategy is more than a procurement update. In an era of great-power rivalry, economic coercion, and the weaponization of trade and global supply chains, the strategy correctly recognizes that national defence and economic security can no longer be treated as separate files.

"The strategy rightly commits Canada to new defence-industrial partnerships with the European Union and the United Kingdom. It also signals intent to collaborate more closely with Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. That is a welcome start. Yet, the Indo-Pacific is larger and more economically dynamic than these four advanced economies."

Canada’s pragmatic turn towards China is not without strategic limits

East Asia Forum, February 21, 2026

Guest Contributor: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt: "Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s January 2026 visit to China was significant not only in recalibrating the bilateral relationship but also in signalling a broader shift in Canadian foreign policy. The shift became clearer at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Carney articulated Canada’s desire to build greater strategic autonomy, diversify partnerships and pursue a more pragmatic, interests-based and independent foreign policy.

This recalibration is necessary in an evolving world order defined less by rules and predictability and more by leverage and choice. But since the United States remains Canada’s most important economic and security partner, Ottawa faces a persistent dilemma in diversifying its economic relationships without jeopardising preferential access to the US market. With Washington increasingly willing to use tariffs and trade pressure as tools of coercion, Canada’s dilemma has become more acute."

Ahead of Mark Carney’s India Trip: Energy as the Anchor of the Bilateral Reset

Policy Magazine, February 18, 2026

Guest Contributor: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt: "Canada is not positioned to displace Gulf suppliers or suddenly dominate India’s import mix. But it can credibly become part of India’s diversified supply portfolio — particularly for crude oil and uranium in the near term, and LNG and critical minerals over the medium term.

In an environment where supply security and political reliability are increasingly priced into energy decisions, Canada’s reputation as a stable, rules-based producer carries weight."

FinDev Canada pledges $30m for IIF to support low-carbon economic growth

The Jakarta Post, February 16, 2026

Featuring: APF Canada's Canada-in-Asia Conference 2026

Excerpt: Canada’s bilateral development finance institution, FinDev Canada, has committed to a US$30 million loan for Indonesia Infrastructure Finance (IIF), strengthening low-carbon economic growth in Indonesia through the financing of sustainable infrastructure projects. 

Announced during the annual Canada-in-Asia Conference (CIAC) organized by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada from Feb. 10 to 11 in Singapore, the loan marks FinDev Canada’s first-ever investment in Indonesia.

Jimmy Lai Sentenced to 20 Years: Does China not care about international pressure?

Radio Canada International, February 13, 2026

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada 

Excerpt: On Monday (February 9), a Hong Kong court sentenced Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and endangering national security, which is the longest sentence since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President, Research & Strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, . . . [expressed] deep disappointment with the verdict.

"Jimmy Lai’s sentence underscores the extent to which Hong Kong’s judicial system has been fully subsumed into Beijing’s broader political and security framework," said Nadjibulla.

She believes that under the current circumstances, sustained public pressure on China is unlikely, on its own, to produce results. Beijing has shown that it is willing to absorb reputational costs, particularly when it frames these cases as matters of national security. However, this does not mean the outside world has no leverage. Calls for Mr. Lai’s release on humanitarian grounds remain the most credible and potentially effective avenue. 

‘Number one obstacle’: Canada wants to feed Asia but complex regulations slow market access

Antara News, February 25, 2026

Featuring: APF Canada's Canada-in-Asia Conference 2026

Excerpt: Canada believes it can help meet Asia’s growing food needs, but an industry leader says complex regulations are slowing market access, raising costs and creating uncertainty for companies.