India and Canada have appointed new excessive commissioners to one another’s international locations, within the newest step to revive ties strained by the killing of a Sikh separatist chief in a Vancouver suburb in 2023.
India’s earlier excessive commissioner left Canada final October after Ottawa expelled him, linking six diplomats to the homicide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar – although Delhi insisted he was withdrawn.
That very same day, India ordered out six senior Canadian diplomats, together with the performing excessive commissioner.
The mutual expulsion of prime diplomats final yr marked an unprecedented low in an in any other case cordial relationship.
Nijjar, designated a terrorist by India in 2020, was shot lifeless by two gunmen exterior a Sikh temple in Vancouver in June 2023.
Relations between the 2 international locations deteriorated months later after former prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged “credible allegations” linking Indian authorities brokers to Nijjar’s killing.
India known as the accusations “absurd and motivated” and accused Canada of offering shelter to Sikh separatists.
At their first assembly in Canada in June, PM Modi and Trudeau’s successor Mark Carney agreed to reinstate senior diplomats, an indication of thaw in relations.
Ottawa has now named Christopher Cooter as its new envoy to Delhi, whereas India has appointed Dinesh Okay Patnaik, presently ambassador to Spain, as its consultant in Canada.
Canada’s Overseas Minister Anita Anand stated the appointment of Mr Cooter was a part of a “step-by-step method to deepening diplomatic engagement” with India.
India’s international ministry stated Mr Patnaik was “anticipated to take up the task shortly”.
India has sharply criticised Canada for tolerating the pro-Khalistan motion, saying Ottawa has lengthy been conscious of and monitoring such teams. The Khalistan motion requires an unbiased homeland for Sikhs in India.
There are some 770,000 Sikhs residing in Canada, residence to the most important Sikh diaspora exterior the Indian state of Punjab.
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