Amid diplomatic stand-off, Canada’s PM to take part in virtual G20 leaders’ summit hosted by India today
It is expected to deliberate on the Delhi Declaration that was adopted at the summit and will be the final meeting under India’s presidency of the G20 which is till the end of this month
Toronto: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he “re-emphasised how important it is to abide by the rule of law and to engage constructively with each other when we have issues of concern” while participating at the virtual G20 summit hosted by his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Wednesday.
Trudeau’s comments came in Ottawa and in the context of continuing friction between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.
Trudeau told media that Ottawa had been “working closely with our allies, including the Americans, since the middle of this summer” on the Nijjar matter.
“Obviously, we continue to engage with India in, hopefully, constructive ways. We hope India will continue to take these real concerns seriously,” he added.
Trudeau also welcomed the ceasefire in Gaza announced by the Israeli Government and said that issue was also discussed at the summit. “The reality is this humanitarian pause is what Canada and others have been calling for for weeks now,” he said.
Trudeau’s participation was also confirmed by the Canadian prime minister’s office (PMO) as it features on his itinerary for November 22.
A senior Indian official also confirmed that Trudeau will be part of the event which is being hosted and chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This will be the first time in over two months that any Canadian Cabinet minister, let alone the PM, will take part in an Indian or India-led event.
The virtual event follows the in-person leaders’ summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. It is expected to deliberate on the Delhi Declaration that was adopted at the summit and will be the final meeting under India’s presidency of the G20 which is till the end of this month.
Problems between Canada and India became apparent at the bilateral meeting between Modi and Trudeau in New Delhi, which was far from amicable. Trudeau, at the time, “raised the importance of respecting the rule of law, democratic principles, and national sovereignty”, according to a readout from the Canadian PMO.
That was a precursor to Trudeau’s statement in the House of Commons on September 18 that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.
Those accusations cratered relations between the two countries as each expelled a diplomat each in the immediate aftermath. India also indefinitely suspended issuing visas to Canadian nationals, though issuance in four categories was resumed in October.
India also sought parity in diplomatic presence leading to 41 Canadian diplomats leaving the country, in what Canada described as a “mass expulsion”.
Meanwhile, an Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA) between India and Canada appears to be in limbo as Canada has said Ottawa’s focus in the relationship was on securing New Delhi’s cooperation in the investigation into Nijjar’s killing.
