India, Canada working to restore High Commissioners: MEA

India and Canada are now working to restore the High Commissioners in New Delhi and Ottawa, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

Addressing his weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney had reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties during a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada.

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“We had issued a press release when we had the last meeting of PM Modi with Prime Minister Carney, on the sidelines of G7 in Kananaskis in Alberta. Both leaders then reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties based on shared democratic values, respect for the rule of law, and commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Both sides agreed to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, beginning with the early return of high commissioners to each other’s capitals,” Jaiswal said.

“That was what was agreed between the prime ministers. Both countries are now working on this particular matter,” the MEA spokesperson added.

Diplomatic tensions between the two nations flared up last year after then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that his government had “credible allegations” of India’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023.

India had strongly denied the charges, calling them “absurd” and “motivated.” In response, India recalled six diplomats, including its High Commissioner to Canada, after they were labelled “persons of interest” by Canadian authorities investigating the killing. India also expelled six Canadian diplomats, including Canada’s High Commissioner to India.