India-Canada Relations / After meeting PM Modi, Canadian PM Trudeau's tone changed, said 'With India...'

India-Canada Relations: Amid bitterness in relations between India and Canada, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau met at the G7 Summit in Italy. Trudeau's tone has changed after meeting PM Modi at the G7 summit. Canadian PM Trudeau has said that we are together with India on many major issues. This is an opportunity to discuss economic and national security with the new government of India.

'Will discuss issues'

After returning from G7, Trudeau told CBC News that the best thing about the summit is that you get a chance to talk directly to different leaders. With India, we have deep people-to-people ties. There is consensus on many major issues on which we need to work as a democracy as a global community. But now that Modi has won the election, I think there is an opportunity for us to talk. This includes some very serious issues related to national security, safety of Canadians and rule of law. We will discuss these issues. When Trudeau was asked if he had seen improved cooperation from India on the Canadian investigation into Nijjar's killing in Surrey, British Columbia, Trudeau said, "There's a lot of work going on."

This is why tensions escalated

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau had alleged "possible" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in September last year. Trudeau's allegations were rejected by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as "absurd and motivated". India says the main issue between the two countries is that Canada is giving space without any check to pro-Khalistan elements operating from its soil. India has repeatedly conveyed its "deep concerns" to Canada and New Delhi expects Ottawa to take strong action against those elements. The Nijjar murder case is being investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The RCMP has arrested four Indian nationals in this connection.