In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, India and Canada have agreed to resume full diplomatic services and appoint new High Commissioners, marking a step toward normalization of ties after nearly a year of strained relations following the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
The development came during the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, where Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A press release from the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that both leaders agreed to restore regular diplomatic functions and services for citizens and businesses in both countries.
Prime Ministers Carney and Modi emphasized the importance of Canada-India relations, reaffirming shared values such as mutual respect, rule of law, and commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Their discussions covered a wide range of areas including Indo-Pacific cooperation, economic growth, energy transition, and strengthening supply chains. The leaders also exchanged views on key G7 priorities like transnational crime, security, and preserving the rules-based international order.
The agreement comes despite ongoing tensions stemming from Canada’s allegations in 2023 that Indian agents were involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar—a charge New Delhi has repeatedly denied, calling it “absurd” and “politically motivated.”
Nijjar, who was designated as a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. His killing triggered a sharp diplomatic fallout, leading India to withdraw six of its diplomats from Canada after they were declared “persons of interest” by Canadian authorities.
India also formally protested what it called repeated violations of international diplomatic norms, including surveillance of its diplomats, allegedly in breach of the Vienna Convention.
While both sides continue to hold differing views on several political matters, the agreement to restore full diplomatic functions marks a cautious but crucial step forward in mending the bilateral relationship.
