Canada and India have agreed to a series of steps to strengthen bilateral ties, two years after their diplomatic rupture over the killing of a Canadian Sikh leader on home soil.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on Monday morning, where the two countries agreed to a new roadmap for Canada-India relations.
“The ministers recognized that in the context of ongoing global economic uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions, a strong and resilient India-Canada bilateral relationship is essential,” read a joint release.
As part of the agreement, the parties say they will soon begin ministerial-level discussions on bilateral trade and investment.
Co-operation on agriculture, science and technology, civil nuclear collaboration, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and energy were also named as priorities.
“Reviving this partnership will not only create opportunities for enhanced economic co-operation, but also help mitigate vulnerabilities arising from shifting global alliances, ensure more reliable supply chains and reinforce strategic stability in an increasingly complex international environment,” read the joint statement.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says any foreign government involvement in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is ‘an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty.’
The joint partnership agreement is the latest in a series of steps both governments have taken to thaw an icy relationship that began after former prime minister Justin Trudeau stood in the House of Commons and accused the Indian government of being involved in the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C.
Nijjar was a prominent local leader in the Khalistan movement pushing for the creation of an independent Sikh state in India.
Trudeau, backed by security officials, alleged Indian diplomats were collecting information about Canadians and passing it on to organized crime members to attack Canadians.
India has denied Canada’s accusations.
The allegations led to both parties expelling each other’s diplomats.
Renewed Ties
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has since made efforts to renew ties with India. In September, Canada and India appointed new envoys.
Carney announced the move following his bilateral meeting with Modi at the G7 summit in Alberta.
In a news conference at the time, Carney said restoring their top diplomats was a “necessary first step,” but there was a lot of work to be done “in the context of respect for sovereignty.”
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has appointed Christopher Cooter as the new high commissioner for Canada to India. India has also appointed a new high commissioner to Canada.
The readout from Carney’s office during the G7 said Canada had raised priorities like “transnational crime and repression, security and the rules-based order” with Modi.
A month after the high commissioners were reinstated, Anand confirmed that Indian law enforcement officials are actively collaborating with Canada.
In an interview with the CBC’s Rosemary Barton, Anand said Canadian government representatives were in India in late September “to ensure we have that law enforcement dialogue proceeding.”
Carney’s approach to India has received some criticism from the Sikh community.
In a statement on Monday, the World Sikh Organization (WSO) of Canada said it is “deeply concerned” that the Canada‑India joint statement offered no assurances about stopping foreign interference or transnational repression.
“Canadian Sikhs continue to face ongoing threats and criminal activity being directed by India. Our government cannot pretend that everything is back to normal while transnational repression is ongoing,” said WSO president Danish Singh.
“Today’s statement isn’t diplomacy; it is a failure to defend Canada’s sovereignty and the rule of law. It is appeasement of the worst kind.”
