Personal Diplomacy Beyond Trudeau's Skills

The Failed G20 Trip to India

Prime Minister Trudeau’s recent G20 summit in India was a disaster, adding to his failed 2018 visit. The G20 summit consists of the world's 20 largest economies, with India as this year's host.

Trudeau returned home after an unexpected two-day delay due to aircraft troubles. Typically, such an incident would be a considerable embarrassment for any government leader. However, it turned out to be only a minor challenge in a string of reverses Trudeau faced in India.

But before delving into the reversals, let's examine the background. One of the most important features of G20 summits is international trade. Canada and India have been negotiating a comprehensive trade deal since 2010, but the past eight years have seen minimal progress under Trudeau. So the India visit inside a trade summit represented a great opportunity for both Trudeau to come face to face with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and supercharge the efforts. But Canada, without an explanation, suspended trade talks with…