This news release has been edited for accuracy.
Premier Ranj Pillai and a Yukon business delegation have completed their Asia mission and are on their way back to Canada.
In Trivandrum, the Premier had a full first day of meetings with the Chief Minister of Kerala and other Ministers of the state holding portfolios including Health, Industry and Commerce and Culture. The Premier also signed a letter of intent laying the groundwork for collaboration with NORKA ROOTS, a Kerala state government agency that supports the recruitment of skilled workers, including health care professionals, by international governments.
On the second day, the Premier-led delegation met with the Government School of Nursing, the University of Kerala, the Kerala State Film Development Corporation, and the Malayalam Film and Television Chamber of Commerce. The delegation also visited Technopark Trivandrum and Kerala Startup Mission in the afternoon.
During his two days in New Delhi, Premier Pillai met with Canadian High Commissioner Cameron MacKay and the federal Minister of Mines. The Premier also met with members from the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber for discussions on shared business interests.
While the Yukon government recognizes that this is a challenging time for India-Canada relations, the Asia mission has created valuable opportunities in the Yukon's mining and tourism sectors while also contributing to advancements in health care recruitment to meet the territory’s needs. The Government of Yukon will continue to work to strengthen economic, labour and cultural ties to promote the Yukon as a place to live, work, visit and invest.
Although relations between Canada and India have shifted in the last 72 hours, dialogue during the Asia mission in India has been productive, and we are confident that the discussions will lead to positive outcomes for Yukoners. I would like to emphasize to all Yukoners of Indo-Canadian descent – which includes a significant number of individuals through the Yukon Nominee Program and international students at Yukon University – that they are welcomed, safe and valued members of our community. Our government will continue to work towards building a strong, resilient territory for all Yukoners while ensuring that people remain at the centre of all that we do.
Premier Ranj Pillai
Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca