Canada, India name new envoys in sign of thawing ties

Trudeau’s successor Carney and India’s Modi agreed in June to reinstate senior diplomats at their first meeting

Canada and India announced new high commissioners to each other’s countries on Thursday, in the latest sign of improving ties strained by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation that India was linked to the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada.

India’s previous high commissioner left Ottawa in October. Canada said he was among six diplomats expelled over the case of separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, while India said it had withdrawn its envoy.

The same day, India ordered the expulsion of six senior Canadian diplomats, including the then-acting high commissioner.

Trudeau’s successor, Mark Carney, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to reinstate senior diplomats during their first bilateral meeting in Canada in June.

Canada’s foreign ministry said veteran diplomat Christopher Cooter would take up the post, which had been vacant since last year.

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“The appointment of a new High Commissioner reflects Canada’s step-by-step approach to deepening diplomatic engagement and advancing bilateral cooperation with India,” Foreign Minister Anita Anand said in a statement.

India’s foreign ministry said its new high commissioner, Dinesh K. Patnaik, was “expected to take up the assignment shortly.”

Nijjar, designated a terrorist by India in 2020, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in June 2023. In September, Trudeau said Canada was pursuing “credible allegations” linking Indian agents to the murder, claims India dismissed while accusing Ottawa of sheltering Sikh separatists.

Canada hosts the largest Sikh population outside India’s Punjab. India is also Canada’s top source of temporary foreign workers and international students, and an important market for pulses such as lentils and yellow peas.

Canadian Prime Minister Carney has emphasized the need to diversify trade beyond the United States. The envoy appointments came a day after US President Donald Trump’s decision to double tariffs on Indian imports to as much as 50% took effect, delivering a blow to New Delhi’s trade ties.