Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated on Saturday that there is a commitment to collaborate with India on some “very important issues” amid ongoing diplomatic tensions. This announcement follows his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy on Friday.
Trudeau, addressing reporters, said, “I’m not going to get into the details of this important, sensitive issue that we need to follow up, but this was a commitment to work together, in the coming times, to deal with some very important issues.”
The meeting between Modi and Trudeau comes against the backdrop of strained relations after Canadian authorities accused India of involvement in the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.
The leaders had previously met during the G20 Summit hosted by India in September of the previous year.
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Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen wanted in India on various terrorism charges, was shot dead outside a Gurdwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023.
Canada’s accusation against India led to a significant diplomatic fallout, with both nations expelling each other’s diplomats.
In May, three Indian nationals were arrested in Canada in connection with Nijjar’s murder. India has suggested that “political interests” are influencing the matter and reiterated its stance that separatists and extremists have been given political space in Canada.
While Trudeau emphasized Canada’s adherence to the rule of law and the ongoing investigation into the murder, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted that, despite warnings from Delhi, Canada has been issuing visas to individuals linked to organized crime.
India maintains that its primary concern with Canada is the allowance of separatist, terrorist, and anti-India elements within the country.
