Ottawa: Days after his first interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Italy amidst the chill in bilateral ties, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that there is an “alignment” on several “big issues” with India and he sees an “opportunity” to engage with the new Indian government including on economic ties and “around national security”.
Prime Minister Modi posted an image on social media of the two leaders shaking hands on Friday, with a one-liner saying “met Canadian PM Justin Trudeau at the G7 Summit”.
The meeting which took place on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Apulia, southern Italy, was the first amid strained diplomatic relations over pro-Khalistani extremism after Trudeau alleged in September last year of “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated Sikh terrorist.
Back in Ottawa, Trudeau told CBC News that one of the really good things about the Summit is that “you get an opportunity to engage directly with a huge range of different leaders with whom there are various issues and certainly with India, there are massive people to people ties, they’re really important economic ties.”
“There’s alignment on a number of big issues that we need to work on as, as democracies as a global community. But now that he (Modi) is through his election, I think there is an opportunity for us to engage, including on some very serious issues around national security and keeping Canadians safe and the rule of law that we will be engaging.”
When asked if he has seen improvement in cooperation from India on the Canadian probe into the murder of Nijjar in Surrey in British Columbia, Trudeau said, “There is work ongoing very much.”
Trudeau’s allegations from last year were strongly rejected by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as “absurd and motivated”.
India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity.
India has repeatedly conveyed its “deep concerns” to Canada and New Delhi expects Ottawa to take strong action against those elements.
Nijjar’s murder is being probed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Four Indian nationals have been arrested in this connection by the RCMP.
PTI