Amid heightened tensions between Canada and India following the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a courtesy encounter at the G7 Summit in Italy. Following their brief interaction, Trudeau asserted on Saturday that there was a mutual commitment to address “significant issues” together with India.
During the summit, Prime Minister Modi engaged in bilateral discussions with leaders from Italy, France, and Japan, among others, but his interaction with Trudeau was described as a courtesy meeting.
Later, PM Modi briefly mentioned on social media about his meeting with PM Trudeau at the G7 Summit.
This meeting occurred against the backdrop of strained relations, sparked by Canada’s accusation that individuals linked to India were involved in Nijjar’s murder, an allegation strongly denied by India as baseless.
Trudeau declined to disclose specifics of the discussion with PM Modi, emphasizing it was about important matters that require further attention. Meanwhile, Trudeau’s office stated the leaders had a short exchange on bilateral relations, during which Trudeau congratulated Modi on his reelection.
The Canadian side refrained from elaborating further, noting the sensitivity of the issue at hand.
In contrast, India did not issue a separate statement on PM Modi’s meeting with Trudeau. New Delhi’s primary concern remains Canada’s alleged tolerance of pro-Khalistan elements, urging Ottawa to take decisive action against such groups.
At the summit, PM Modi held substantive bilateral talks with leaders including Emmanuel Macron, Rishi Sunak, Fumio Kishida, Olaf Scholtz, Giorgia Meloni, and Joe Biden.
