Amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Canada and India concerning the murder of separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a courtesy interaction on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. This brief exchange, held in Italy, came a day before Trudeau claimed that there was a commitment to collaborate with India on addressing some “very important issues.”
During the summit, Prime Minister Modi engaged in bilateral meetings with leaders from Italy, France, and Japan, among others. However, his interaction with Trudeau was notably limited to a courtesy meeting. PM Modi later acknowledged the meeting in a succinct post, stating, “Met Canadian PM Justin Trudeau at the G7 Summit.” This encounter occurred against the backdrop of Canada’s allegations that agents of the Indian government were involved in Nijjar’s murder, an accusation India has vehemently denied as “absurd and motivated.”
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India dismissed these allegations, asserting that Canada has been supportive of anti-India elements. The MEA’s statement highlights the longstanding issue between the two nations regarding Canada’s stance on pro-Sikh separatist groups.
Following his meeting with PM Modi, Trudeau refrained from disclosing details of their discussion. Speaking to reporters, he said, “I’m not going to get into the details of this important, sensitive issue that we need to follow up on, but this was a commitment to work together, in the coming times, to deal with some very important issues.” According to the Press Trust of India (PTI), Trudeau emphasized the need for continued dialogue on these sensitive matters.
The Canadian Prime Minister’s Office described the interaction as a “brief discussion on the bilateral relationship,” noting that Trudeau also took the opportunity to congratulate Modi on his re-election. Ann-Clara Vaillancourt, a spokesperson for Trudeau, indicated that while significant issues persist between Canada and India, no further statements will be made at this time.
New Delhi did not issue a separate statement regarding PM Modi’s interaction with Trudeau. The Indian government has consistently expressed its expectation that Canada take decisive action against Separatist groups, which it views as a core issue in their bilateral relationship.
During the G7 Summit, PM Modi conducted bilateral meetings with several world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as well as US President Joe Biden.
Comments