India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, as both countries work to reset a relationship badly damaged in recent years.

Jaishankar described the meeting as ‘a productive discussion’ and said the two sides were preparing ‘to take the relationship to a higher level,’ signalling continued momentum in the diplomatic repair effort.

Ties between India and Canada hit a historic low during Justin Trudeau’s tenure after Ottawa alleged Indian involvement in the killing of a Canadian citizen, a charge New Delhi firmly rejected. Canada’s new government has since moved to rebuild the relationship.

Both sides are pushing to conclude long-pending trade talks, with reports suggesting a target of more than doubling two-way trade to $70 billion by 2030.

The meeting followed Jaishankar’s talks with the foreign ministers of Mexico and Venezuela, as India used the UN gathering for a series of bilateral engagements.