India, Canada improving ties after tensions over Sikh leader\u2019s murder, signals progress in relations
\nOTTAWA
\nIndia is cooperating with Canada and bilateral ties are improving after tensions spiked over the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia, a top Canadian official told CTV in an interview published on Friday.
\nDiplomatic relations soured after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last year said Canada was \u201cactively pursuing credible allegations\u201d that Indian agents were potentially linked to the June 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen. India has denied any formal government role in Nijjar\u2019s murder.
\n\u201cI wouldn\u2019t describe them (the Indians) as not cooperating. I think we\u2019ve made advancements in that relationship,\u201d Jody Thomas, Trudeau\u2019s national security adviser, told CTV.
\nCTV published an excerpt from the interview on its website on Friday. The full interview will be aired on Sunday.
\nCanada has been pressing India to cooperate in its investigation of Nijjar\u2019s killing. Last November, US authorities said they had thwarted a plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the United States.
\n\u201cThe information that they (the Americans) revealed supported our position and our assertions with India, and India is working with us … far more closely to resolve this,\u201d Thomas told CTV. Trudeau said in December he sensed a change in New Delhi\u2019s tone with Ottawa after the US case.
\nThe acrimony has delayed discussions on a free-trade deal and threatened Canada\u2019s plans to expand its influence in the Indo-Pacific region, where New Delhi\u2019s cooperation is critical to efforts to check an increasingly assertive China.
\n\u201cOur ability to function in the Indo Pacific does rely on having a healthy relationship with India. And I think that we are working back towards that,\u201d Thomas said. Around 2 million Canadians, or 5% of the population, have Indian heritage.
\nCanada withdrew 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi in September asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence following Trudeau\u2019s remarks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
India, Canada improving ties after tensions over Sikh leader\u2019s murder, signals progress in relations OTTAWA India is cooperating with Canada and bilateral ties are improving after tensions spiked over the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia, a top Canadian official told CTV in an interview published on Friday. Diplomatic relations soured after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":383520,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-383495","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n