Canada is still committed to building closer ties with India, says Trudeau amid diplomatic row

By Team Newsable | First Published Sep 29, 2023, 9:20 AM IST

Speaking at a press conference in Montreal, Trudeau said that he thinks it is "extremely important" that Canada and its allies continue to engage "constructively and seriously" with India given its growing importance on the world stage.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said Canada is still committed to "building closer ties with India, despite "credible allegations" that the Indian government was involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

"India is an important geopolitical force and a rising economic power. And as we presented with our Indo-Pacific plan just last year, we're quite serious about forging stronger connections with India," Trudeau said at a news conference in Montreal.

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He said, "At the same time, obviously, as a country that upholds the rule of law, we need to emphasise that India needs to collaborate with Canada to make sure that we receive all relevant information." Trudeau said that he believes it is "extremely important" for Canada and its allies to keep up their "constructive and serious" engagement with India.

In order to follow up on the plausible claims that Indian government operatives assassinated a Canadian citizen on Canadian territory, he stated, "the Americans have been with us in speaking to the Indian government about how important it is that they be involved."

He said, "This is something that all democratic countries, all countries that respect the rule of law, need to take seriously." He was referring to Canada's accusations over the murder of Nijjar.

In his speech, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that his nation is "moving forward in a thoughtful, responsible way anchored in the rule of law" with all of its partners, including in its approach to the Government of India.

Ten days earlier, Trudeau told the Canadian House of Commons that Canadian security agencies had been actively looking into "credible allegations of a potential link" between operatives of the Government of India and the death of Nijjar. This sparked an unprecedented diplomatic crisis between India and Canada.

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