Will India and Canada move beyond ‘past rancour' and normalise ties quickly?
The move by
India and
Canada to reinstate high commissioners in each other's capitals marks an important step towards mending their frayed relationship after the 2023 killing of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia.
Following a meeting between Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart
Mark Carney on the sidelines of this week's
Group of Seven summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, both countries issued separate statements to pledge their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.
Analysts said the diplomatic move, which could bring about an easing of travel and visa restrictions and pave the way for deeper engagement in other areas, reflected a shared desire by Modi and Carney to move past the acrimony of the past two years.
Modi described his talks with Carney as 'excellent', saying in a post on social media platform X that both leaders 'look forward to working closely to add momentum to the India–Canada friendship'. He identified trade, energy, space and critical minerals as areas of potential cooperation.
A statement from Carney's office said the two leaders had agreed on the need to strengthen relations based on mutual respect, the rule of law and recognition of each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The positive tone arising from the meeting between Modi and Carney was a far cry from the nadir in the two countries' relationship in 2023 over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and the leader of a Sikh separatist movement in India. An accusation by former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau that Indian agents were allegedly involved in the killing prompted a tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats from both sides.
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