Canada and India Restore Relations by Naming New Top Envoys
After a dispute over an alleged political assassination, Canada and India have restored relations by naming new high commissioners to each other's capitals.
Canada and India have taken steps to restore their diplomatic relations after a dispute that led to the expulsion of top envoys.
On Thursday, both nations named new high commissioners to each other's capitals.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announced that Christopher Cooter will be Canada's new high commissioner to India.
In response, India's foreign ministry stated that Dinesh Patnaik, the current envoy to Spain, will take up his duties in Ottawa "shortly.
The tensions between Canada and India began last year when Canadian police accused New Delhi of involvement in the June 2023 assassination of a Canadian Sikh activist named Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
This accusation was based on evidence that revealed an intensifying campaign against Canadian citizens by agents of the Indian government.
Following this incident, relations improved in June when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney extended an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the G7 summit in Alberta, and both countries agreed to restore their top diplomats.
Nijjar, 45, was shot dead in his pickup truck after leaving the Sikh temple he led in Surrey, British Columbia.
He was a Canadian citizen of Indian origin and owned a plumbing business.
Nijjar played a significant role in what remained of the movement to create an independent Sikh homeland.
Four Indian nationals living in Canada were charged with his murder.
The strained relations between Canada and India have been further exacerbated by allegations from former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Indian diplomats passed information about Canadians to the highest levels of the Indian government, which was then shared with organized crime groups, resulting in violence against Canadians.
Trudeau accused India of violating Canada's sovereignty, while India rejected these accusations as absurd.
This dispute is not unique to Canada and India.
The US Justice Department also brought criminal charges last year against an Indian government official for allegedly plotting to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.
Furthermore, India has criticized Canada for being lenient towards supporters of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India but enjoys support among the Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada.
Approximately 2% of Canada's population is Sikh.
Christopher Cooter, who will be taking on this new role, has had a long diplomatic career spanning 35 years, including postings in Israel and South Africa as well as a 25-year stint in New Delhi.
On Thursday, both nations named new high commissioners to each other's capitals.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announced that Christopher Cooter will be Canada's new high commissioner to India.
In response, India's foreign ministry stated that Dinesh Patnaik, the current envoy to Spain, will take up his duties in Ottawa "shortly.
The tensions between Canada and India began last year when Canadian police accused New Delhi of involvement in the June 2023 assassination of a Canadian Sikh activist named Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
This accusation was based on evidence that revealed an intensifying campaign against Canadian citizens by agents of the Indian government.
Following this incident, relations improved in June when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney extended an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the G7 summit in Alberta, and both countries agreed to restore their top diplomats.
Nijjar, 45, was shot dead in his pickup truck after leaving the Sikh temple he led in Surrey, British Columbia.
He was a Canadian citizen of Indian origin and owned a plumbing business.
Nijjar played a significant role in what remained of the movement to create an independent Sikh homeland.
Four Indian nationals living in Canada were charged with his murder.
The strained relations between Canada and India have been further exacerbated by allegations from former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Indian diplomats passed information about Canadians to the highest levels of the Indian government, which was then shared with organized crime groups, resulting in violence against Canadians.
Trudeau accused India of violating Canada's sovereignty, while India rejected these accusations as absurd.
This dispute is not unique to Canada and India.
The US Justice Department also brought criminal charges last year against an Indian government official for allegedly plotting to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.
Furthermore, India has criticized Canada for being lenient towards supporters of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India but enjoys support among the Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada.
Approximately 2% of Canada's population is Sikh.
Christopher Cooter, who will be taking on this new role, has had a long diplomatic career spanning 35 years, including postings in Israel and South Africa as well as a 25-year stint in New Delhi.
