Canada Army Officer to visit Delhi for military conference amid diplomatic row

Amid the ongoing Indo-Canadian diplomatic row, a top Canadian Army official will visit New Delhi next week to participate in a major military conference, Indian Army officials said here on Wednesday.

Canada's Deputy Army Chief Major General Peter Scott is scheduled to attend the Indo-Pacific Army Chiefs' Conference (IPACC) in Delhi on September 26-27, according to Army sources.

"The row doesn't impact us. The Canadian Army (deputy) Chief is coming in here, his delegation is coming here," said Maj Gen Abhinaya Rai, the Additional Director General of Strategic Planning at the Army headquarters.

Fifteen Army chiefs and delegations from 22 countries will attend the Delhi conference, co-hosted by the Indian and US Army to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region through mutual understanding, dialogue, and friendship.

The conference is one of the three events that will happen in Delhi, the other two being the 47th annual Indo-Pacific Army Management Seminar and the 9th Senior Enlisted Forum, the US Embassy says in a statement. General Randy George, US Army Vice Chief of Staff will be in the capital.

Responding to a query on Canada, Maj Gen Rai said, “Our diplomatic efforts as well as our military efforts with Canada will continue to be there and as part of the IPACC, they will form an important partner in the journey.”

Col Todd Braithwaite, the Defence Attache at the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi said both sides would continue their military cooperation despite the row.

"We will continue our military cooperation. It (the diplomatic row) is not going to impact (the defence relations). Our Deputy Army Chief will visit India to participate in the conference," he said.

The relations between India and Canada nosedived in recent times following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.

Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar said the event would provide a unique opportunity to build common perspectives towards a shared vision and would help strengthen friendships through the formidable and indelible "soldierly bond".