Big Breakthrough In India-Canada Ties, Months After Diplomatic Fallout
Ottawa:
India and Canada agreed on Tuesday to reinstate ambassadors to each other's capitals, months after the bitter diplomatic fallout between New Delhi and Ottawa. The breakthrough came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Canada's Kananaskis.
The relations between the two countries deteriorated last year after Carney's predecessor, Justin Trudeau, publicly accused India of being involved in the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, an allegation India categorically denied. Following this, New Delhi and Ottawa expelled the Indian ambassador.
Now Canada's new leader, Carney, who took office in March, invited PM Modi to the Canadian Rockies as a guest at the summit of the G7 major economies. The two leaders held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit and agreed that both countries would name new high commissioners, as ambassadors are known between Commonwealth nations.
The two leaders made the decision "with a view to returning to regular services to citizens and businesses in both countries," the Canadian PM Carney's office said in a statement.
Carney said it was a "great honour" to welcome Modi to the G7 summit and hoped to work with India on "the issues that we look to tackle together, from energy security... the future of artificial intelligence, to the fight that we have against transnational repression and against terrorism."
PM Modi also reassured that both Canada and India were "dedicated to democratic values."
"The relationship between India and Canada is very important in many ways," PM Modi said as he congratulated Carney on guiding his Liberal Party to an election victory.
"I am confident that together...India and Canada will work together to make progress in many areas."
India-Canada Relations
The row over Nijjar's Killing had severely impeded diplomatic services between India and Canada, which traded $9 billion in 2023 and have close cultural ties due to the vast Indian diaspora in Canada, home to the largest Sikh population outside India.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who advocated for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan, was shot dead in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in British Columbia in 2023. Former Prime Minister Trudeau accused India of direct involvement.
India denied involvement in the killing and said Canada should take more action against violent advocates for Khalistan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Students stuck in Israel hope for early exit
1 2 3 4 5 6 Kolkata: Students stranded in Israel hoped for an early exit from the country after Iran escalated strikes on Israel following the US bomber jets striking three nuclear facilities in Iran. The first batch of 160 Indians left Jordan on Sunday. "We are waiting for the next list of evacuees to be published by the Indian embassy in Israel. They are picking up students and other evacuees from different areas and taking them to Jordan," said Sayantan Maiti, a Barrackpore resident who is pursuing research at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. While the first batch reached Jordan by Sunday afternoon, the journey was not bereft of missile threats. The bus had to halt after sirens went off twice. The bus was parked at the nearest public shelter, and the passengers took cover. "There were armed forces on the bus, and the driver was skilled in handling emergency situations. But such a situation always breeds fear. There are long stretches with nothing but fields, where there is no possibility of finding a shelter," said Maiti. On Sunday morning, Priyangana Deb from Kolkata, pursuing post-doctoral research at the Medicine and Health Science Faculty of Tel Aviv University, said: "There could be an escalation of offensive by Iran after the US attack. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 오돌토돌 모공각화증, 자꾸 손대지말고 이렇게 해보세요 현명한소비자 Undo I don't know when my turn will come." Salboni resident Aniruddha Bera, who was initially in two minds about leaving Israel, went to the bus stop on Sunday to see off friends who were picked up from Tel Aviv. "He is a bit tense now after recent developments. We don't think he will be able to get listed before Tuesday," said Asim Bera, his father. Additionally, family members of 100 workers from Nadia are also hoping for their safe return from Israel, where most of them had gone to work as construction workers. According to sources, at least 30 workers from Lalbazar in Betai are currently in Israel. "My sons Sanjib and Sujit are working in Israel. They said missile alerts went off suddenly, and they rushed to shelters. For some days, they have practically been living inside bunkers," said Goshto Charan Biswas, a resident of Betai.
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
YMA reaches out to Myanmar refugee leaders in Mizoram
1 2 3 4 Aizawl: The central committee of the Young Mizo Association (YMA), the apex body of the Mizos and the largest community based organisation, has reached out to the leaders of refugees from Myanmar taking shelter across Mizoram. They informed the leaders that refugees involving in drug trafficking and other crimes will not be tolerated. General secretary of the central YMA Prof Malsawmliana told TOI on Sunday that the refugees have been told to adhere to the local societal rules and regulations of the places they are taking shelter, as well as the laws of the land and govt orders. "We have told all of them to have temporary identity cards issued by the state govt for the refugees and not try to obtain Aadhaar Card, EPIC, driving licence, residential certificate and others which are for the Indian citizens only," Malsawmliana said. The refugees are also informed that anyone indulging in illegal activities will be punished according to the Indian law. They were informed that as the refugees belonged to ethnic Mizos and blood brothers of Mizoram people, the YMA and its members will help them whenever needed and will never abandon them. President of central YMA Lalhmachhuana also urged the Myanmar refugees to help maintain peace in Mizoram, which is the most peaceful states in the country and not incite hatred among different sub-tribes of the Chins, originally from Chin state. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Aizawl district deputy commissioner Lalhriatpuia and Sr SP CID (special branch) Stephen Lalrinawma urged the refugees not to try to obtain documents meant only for Indian citizens. Assistant commissioner of state excise & narcotics department Pu VL Vura Ralte asked them not to indulge in drug trafficking and assist the authorities in combating the drug menace. The meeting, held on Friday, was attended by over 60 people representing different refugee organisations and relief camps as well as elected representatives of Chin state taking shelter in the state.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Ahead of Bihar polls, EC plans house-to-house survey for electoral roll
The Election Commission of India is planning to conduct an 'intensive house-to-house verification' of the voters' list in Bihar ahead of the assembly polls due in the state later this year, officials said on Sunday. Such an intensive and rigorous revision of the electoral rolls has been done in the past as well with the last such exercise undertaken in 2004 (HT Photo) Concerns have been raised by various civil society organisations, political parties and others persistently over the inclusion or deletion of names in the electoral rolls, the officials said. 'To ensure the system is completely robust and error-free, the ECI is considering an intensive house-to-house verification during the upcoming electoral roll revision before the Bihar Assembly polls,' an EC official familiar with the matter said requesting anonymity. Also Read | Ahead of polls, Nitish hikes social security pension in Bihar to ₹ 1,100; Jeevika workers honorarium doubled Such an intensive and rigorous revision of the electoral rolls has been done in the past as well with the last such exercise undertaken in 2004, the official said. The regular exercise of revision of electoral rolls is undertaken annually throughout the country by the EC and also before the holding of elections or bypolls. The provisions regarding eligibility to be registered as a voter and disqualification are clearly laid down in Article 326 of the Constitution and Section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 respectively, they said. Also Read | PM Modi targets RJD, Cong in marker for Bihar elections The voter list is revised regularly due to deaths and inclusion of new voters. Inter-state and intra-state movement of voters is another key reason why rolls need updation. For instance, during 2024, according to the forms received by the EC, 4.6 million people shifted their residence, 23 million applied for corrections and 3.3 million requested for replacement, the commission said in a statement issued on Sunday. Thus, in a single year, nearly 31 million changes were required to be made across the country, the commission said in the statement. Officials lamented that despite following a detailed protocol, insinuations and allegations are often made against the EC of arbitrarily inflating the electoral roll, even though the exercise is conducted with complete transparency and under constant scrutiny of political parties. Several parties, including the Congress, have accused the poll authority of manipulating voter data.
