Who Is Anita Anand, Canada’s New Indian-Origin Foreign Minister

Canadian politician Anita Anand has been sworn in as Canada's new foreign minister in a major Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Mark Carney. Indian-origin Anand, who has previously served in roles including Canada's Defence Minister, has replaced Melanie Joly, who had been moved to the role of  Minister of Industry. A senior member of Canada's Liberal Party, the 58-year-old politician took the oath of office with her hand on the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita, a tradition she had followed in previous Cabinet appointments as well.

The reshuffle comes as Prime Minister Carney rebuilds his newly elected Liberal cabinet, which includes 28 ministers. He also introduced secretaries of state, with an aim of showing a fresh start from the Justin Trudeau era. The cabinet balances experience and diversity, with women making up half of the government. Mr Carney said the Cabinet was chosen to "deliver the change Canadians want and need," amid tense Canada-US relations.

After being sworn in to her new role, Ms Anand took to X and wrote, "I am honoured to be named Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs. I look forward to working with Prime Minister Mark Carney and our team to build a safer, fairer world and deliver for Canadians."