India, Canada to reappoint high commissioners after year-long standoff over Nijjar row

In a diplomatic relief after months of tension, India and Canada have agreed to reinstate High Commissioners in each other’s capitals. The move follows a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the two leaders "agreed to take calibrated steps to restore stability to this very important relationship," with the first step being the return of High Commissioners. “Other diplomatic steps will follow in due course,” he added.

Modi and Carney also agreed to resume paused trade negotiations. “The two leaders decided to instruct their officials to take it up at an early date,” Misri said, noting that both sides remain committed to dialogue and regular services for citizens and businesses.

The meeting covered key bilateral pillars, including commercial ties, Indo-Pacific cooperation, resilient supply chains, and clean energy partnerships. Both sides acknowledged the importance of people-to-people ties and strengthening economic growth.

A statement from the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office said Carney and Modi reaffirmed the significance of the Canada-India relationship, anchored in “mutual respect, adherence to the rule of law, and a shared commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The statement confirmed both countries would “designate new high commissioners, with a view to returning to regular services to citizens and businesses.”

Carney also shared G7 priorities such as global security, transnational crime, and upholding the rules-based international order. He and Modi explored further collaboration in digital transformation, food security, critical minerals, and technology.

Why were the ties strained?

India-Canada ties deteriorated sharply in 2023 under former PM Justin Trudeau, who accused India of having a “potential” link to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. India dismissed the allegations as “absurd and motivated,” triggering a diplomatic standoff.

In response, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and withdrew High Commissioner Sanjay Verma, after Ottawa flagged him and other officials in its Nijjar probe. Verma was declared a “person of interest” by Canadian authorities investigating the June 2023 assassination of Nijjar, whom India had designated a terrorist.