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NSA Ajit Doval holds security talks in Canada
It was a return visit by the Indian NSA, as his Canadian counterpart visited India last year.
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Prabhjot Paul Singh - Sun, 08, Feb 2026
- 23:47 EST
- 15
NSA Ajit Doval and Nathalie Drouin. / IANS
India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval was on a two-day visit to Canada this weekend. He met Nathalie Drouin, the outgoing deputy clerk and national security and intelligence adviser to the prime minister of Canada, as well as Public Affairs Minister Gary Anandasangaree.
Eyebrows have been raised in political circles over Drouin’s meeting with Ajit Doval, especially as she is preparing to leave for Paris for her diplomatic assignment. It would have been better if her successor had met the Indian NSA, as both countries have a series of contentious issues related to law and order and transnational crime, besides growing lists of extradition requests.
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Nathalie Drouin was appointed Canada’s ambassador to France and Monaco last week. Announcing her appointment, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said she brings three decades of experience and leadership across diplomacy and public service. She has held senior roles in the federal public service, including deputy clerk of the Privy Council and national security and intelligence adviser to the prime minister, associate secretary to the Cabinet, and deputy minister of justice and deputy attorney general of Canada.
She has also served as deputy minister of justice and deputy attorney general for the Quebec government and in a number of roles within the Autorité des marchés financiers. Drouin has played a central leadership role in implementing Prime Minister Carney’s foreign policy strategy. Her successor has yet to be named.
Ajit Doval was in Canada for two days beginning Feb. 6. The visit, kept closely guarded, was part of the regular bilateral security dialogue between India and Canada. It was a return visit by the Indian NSA, as his Canadian counterpart visited India last year.
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At the end of the two-day visit, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs released an official statement. It said both sides acknowledged progress on initiatives aimed at supporting the safety and security of their countries and citizens. They agreed to a shared work plan to guide bilateral cooperation on national security and law enforcement issues and to enable practical collaboration on respective priorities.
During the meeting between Ajit Doval and Nathalie Drouin, it was agreed that each country would establish security and law enforcement liaison officers and that their respective agencies would build on existing working relationships. This step is expected to help streamline bilateral communications and enable timely information sharing on issues of mutual concern, including the illegal flow of drugs, particularly fentanyl precursors, and transnational organized criminal networks.
The two national security advisers also committed to formalizing cooperation on cybersecurity policy and information sharing on cybersecurity issues, and to continuing discussions on cooperation related to fraud and immigration enforcement, consistent with domestic laws and international obligations.
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