Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that his country is “very serious” about building closer ties with India acknowledging that India is of growing economic and geopolitical importance. This comes days after Trudeau publicly accused India of having played a part in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
However, Trudeau added that Canada wants India to work with them and make sure they get the full facts about Nijjar’s killing. Nijjar was killed in British Columbia on June 18.
India has called Canada’s allegations “absurd” and “motivated”. India later expelled a senior Canadian diplomat following Canada’s expulsion of an Indian official over the case.
‘Credible claims’, says Trudeau
Justin Trudeau has said despite the “credible” allegations against India, Canada is committed to building closer ties with India, as per The National Post newspaper. In his speech at a press conference in Montreal, Trudeau said it is “extremely important” that Canada, along with its allies, continues to grow close to India and engage “constructively and seriously”. He reiterated India’s growing importance globally.
“India is a growing economic power and important geopolitical player. And as we presented with our Indo-Pacific strategy, just last year, we’re very serious about building closer ties with India,” Trudeau said. However, he reiterated that India needs to work with Canada.
US’ assurances to Canada
Trudeau had said that the US had assured it that its Secretary of State Antony Blinken would raise the Nijjar’s murder issue in his meeting with India’s S Jaishankar in Washington on Thursday. However, in a readout on the meeting the US State Department did not say if the two leaders discussed the India-Canada standoff.
Trudeau had said the US has backed it in speaking with India about the importance of India’s involvement in “following up on the credible allegations that agents of the Indian government killed a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil”. This is something that all democratic countries, all countries that respect the rule of law need to take seriously, he said.
“We are moving forward in a thoughtful, responsible way anchored in the rule of law with all of our partners including in our approach to the Government of India,” he added.
(With PTI inputs)