New Delhi [India], Jan.22 : Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today announced that he will travel to India for a state visit from February 17 to 23.

"Canada and India share a special bond and are linked by tremendous people-to-people connections.

The more than one million Canadians of Indian origin make the relationship between our two countries a truly special one. I look forward to meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and further strengthening the Canada-India friendship." "Our two countries share much in common, including a commitment to diversity, democracy, freedom, and the rule of law," he added.

This visit will build on these shared commitments as well as on recent meetings held between Prime Ministers Trudeau and Modi, and ministers from both countries.

This visit - which includes stops in Agra, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi - will provide an opportunity for Prime Minister Trudeau to connect with Indian leaders in government and business, promote the empowerment of women and girls, and strengthen Canada and India's close economic ties.

Canadian High Commissioner Nadir Patel said: "Canada greatly values its strong relationship with India. This visit reflects the high level of priority that Prime Minister Trudeau places on this strategic partnership. Prime Minister Trudeau's visit builds on visits by 11 Cabinet Ministers of the Trudeau Government in the past 18 months."

During the visit, the prime ministers will reaffirm the close friendship between the two countries, and discuss ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation.

Prime Minister Trudeau will also participate in several business round-tables to promote further trade and investment between Canada and India, as Canada works closely with Indian leaders to advance economic opportunities in both countries.

While in India, Prime Minister Trudeau will engage with youth, and visit several landmarks, including the Taj Mahal, Sri Harmandir Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple), the Jama Masjid, and Swaminarayan Akshardham.

There have been eleven Cabinet India since the Government headed by Prime Minister Trudeau took office in November 2015.

Canada is home to a large Indian diaspora, as approximately 3.6 percent of Canadians are of Indian heritage and India is Canada's second largest source of immigrants.

In 2016, two-way merchandise trade between Canada and India totaled $8 billion. Bilateral trade in services reached 2.1 billion dollars in the same year.

Canadian investment into India has increased by over 15 billion dollars over the past three years mainly through institutional investors, and the number of Canadian companies active in India stands at over 1000.

Canada is a leading education destination for Indian students; approximately 124,000 Indians held a valid Canadian study permit in 2017.