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Informist, Wednesday, Jun. 18, 2025

 

NEW DELHI - India and Canada Tuesday agreed to restore high commissioners at each other's capitals and resume trade negotiations, following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada. The bilateral meeting marked the beginning of a reset in diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Ottawa, after relations were hit in 2023 when Canada alleged India's involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. 

 

Following Tuesday's meeting, Prime Minister Modi termed India-Canada ties "extremely important" and said both countries were connected by a strong belief in "democracy, freedom and rule of law".

 

"The Prime Ministers agreed to take calibrated steps to restore stability to this very important relationship and the first of these steps that was agreed on was to restore High Commissioners to each other's capitals at an early date. Other diplomatic steps will follow in due course," Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said after the meeting between the two leaders. 

 

The foreign secretary said that the two leaders also decided to instruct their officials to take up trade negotiations at an early date. Trade negotiations are currently on a pause.

 

"The leaders also discussed the importance of restarting the stalled negotiations on the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), with a view to paving the way for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

 

Misri also said that the prime ministers discussed potential collaboration in clean energy, clean tech, digital infrastructure, food security, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, and supply chains. 

 

A statement from the Canadian prime minister's office said that the leaders agreed to designate new high commissioners, with a view to returning to regular services to citizens and businesses in both countries. 

 

"They discussed strong and historic ties between our peoples, partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, and significant commercial links between Canada and India – including partnerships in economic growth, supply chains, and the energy transformation," the statement read.

 

Diplomatic relations between India and Canada turned sour in 2023 when Justin Trudeau, then Canada's prime minister, claimed that his government had "credible allegations" of India's involvement in the killing of Nijjar in Canada. Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on Jun. 18, 2023.

 

India vehemently rejected the allegations and dismissed them as "absurd" and "motivated". It has accused Canada of providing a platform to extremist and anti-India elements.

 

In October 2024, India withdrew its then high commissioner, Sanjay Kumar Verma, and five other officials after Ottawa requested New Delhi to waive their diplomatic immunity, allowing them to be questioned about violent criminal activity. In response, India expelled six Canadian officials, including its acting high commissioner.  End

 

Reported by Kuldeep Singh

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

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