Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed optimism about engaging with India on significant national security concerns following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's re-election for a third term.
On the anniversary of the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Trudeau stated, "Now that he's through his election, I think there is an opportunity for us to engage, including on some very serious issues around national security and keeping Canadians safe and the rule of law."
Trudeau's comments came after his meeting with Prime Minister Modi in Italy during the G7 Summit, where India was invited as an Outreach country. PM Modi had shared a photograph of their handshake on Twitter, highlighting the meeting.
Post their discussion in Italy, Trudeau told Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) that there are "important but sensitive" issues that require cooperation between the two nations. However, he did not elaborate on the specifics of their conversation.
In the CBC, Trudeau highlighted the benefits of international summits, stating, "I think one of the really good things about summits is you get an opportunity to engage directly with a huge range of different leaders with whom there are various issues." He emphasized the strong people-to-people connections, significant economic ties, and shared democratic values between Canada and India.
Relations between Canada and India had been strained after Trudeau spoke in the House of Commons last year about "credible allegations" linking Indian agents to Nijjar's killing in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. India dismissed these allegations as "absurd" and "motivated."
Nijjar, labeled a terrorist by India's National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed outside a Gurdwara in Surrey. This Tuesday marks the first anniversary of his death. A video of the killing, which surfaced in March this year, showed Nijjar being shot by armed men.
The last in-person meeting between Trudeau and PM Modi occurred during the G20 leaders' summit in New Delhi in September last year.
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