NEW DELHI — India and Canada agreed to revive diplomatic providers almost two years after Ottawa accused New Delhi of alleged involvement within the killing of a Sikh separatist chief, which was a row straining relations between the 2 international locations.
The announcement was made after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, met Tuesday on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.
“The leaders agreed to designate new excessive commissioners, with a view to returning to common providers to residents and companies in each international locations,” an announcement from Carney’s workplace mentioned.
Excessive commissioners are senior diplomats, representing their nation’s pursuits and fostering relationships with the host nation.
Modi and Carney reiterated the significance of a bilateral relationship based mostly on mutual respect and a dedication to the precept of territorial sovereignty, in accordance with the assertion. In addition they mentioned additional collaboration in a number of sectors, together with expertise, digital transition, meals safety, and demanding minerals.
In the meantime, India’s overseas ministry underscored the significance of restarting senior ministerial engagements to “rebuild belief and convey momentum to the connection.”
Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, shocked the world in September 2023 after saying in Parliament there have been credible allegations about India’s hyperlink to the killing of Hareep Singh Nijjar close to Vancouver. New Delhi vehemently denied the allegations and accused Trudeau’s authorities of harboring extremists.
The Indian authorities had declared Nijjar a terrorist in 2020 beneath a regulation meant to suppress dissent. The Sikh independence advocate was a distinguished member of the Khalistan motion, banned in India, to create an impartial Sikh homeland. He was seen as a human rights activist by Sikh organizations.
Ties between the 2 international locations continued to worsen and in October, India expelled Canadian diplomats and withdrew its excessive commissioner and different officers from Canada. Ottawa retaliated by dismissing Indian diplomats and accusing the Indian authorities of an intensifying marketing campaign towards Canadian residents, a cost New Delhi denied.
India’s anxieties about Sikh separatist teams have lengthy strained its relationship with Canada, the place some 2% of the inhabitants is Sikh.
As Trump abruptly left the G7 summit, Modi had an in depth cellphone dialog with the U.S. president and shared India’s navy response towards Pakistan final month following the killings of 26 harmless folks, principally Hindu males, in Indian-controlled Kashmir, overseas secretary Vikram Misri mentioned.
In current weeks, Trump had claimed to have brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan and provided commerce concessions partly to make the nuclear-armed rivals attain an settlement after taking pictures at one another for days, which was checkmate by New Delhi. Trump had additionally proposed mediation over Kashmir.
In an announcement, Misri mentioned Modi clarified to Trump that India had by no means up to now accepted nor wouldn’t it encourage sooner or later a third-party mediation over the simmering dispute of Kashmir, a Himalayan area claimed by each India and Pakistan in its entirety.
Misri mentioned Modi made it clear to Trump that in a number of talks held between New Delhi and Washington senior officers amid the continuing navy battle, there was no point out of a commerce deal or the U.S. mediation over Kashmir.
The talks to cease navy actions have been held instantly between the navy leaders of India and Pakistan by way of present channels, Misri mentioned.
