Looking at strengthening partnership with Canada: India

New Delhi: Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Canada, India on Thursday said it is looking at strengthening the bilateral partnership with Ottawa in several areas including trade and energy.

"That particular matter is under judicial process right now. So, we will have to see how it goes," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, referring to the case relating to the killing of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Jaiswal was asked whether there is a clear softening of relations between India and Canada and the Nijjar case.

The India-Canada relations hit rock bottom following then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in 2023 of a potential Indian link to the killing of Nijjar.

"It is a legal issue," Jaiswal said.

The spokesperson also referred to PM Modi's meeting last week with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney in Canada's Kananaskis on the sidelines of the G7 summit.

"It was a very productive and a positive meeting. And both sides underlined the need to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership."

"We are looking forward to strengthening our partnership with Canada in several respects -- in the economic side, trade side, energy side, on mobility side, student exchange," he said.

In their meeting, Modi and Carney agreed to pursue "constructive" steps to restore stability in India-Canada ties including the early return of envoys to each other's capitals.

The two prime ministers also underscored the importance of restarting senior ministerial as well as working-level engagements across various domains to "rebuild trust" and "bring momentum" to the relationship.

In October last year, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case.

India also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats.

However, Liberal Party leader Carney's victory in the parliamentary election in April triggered hopes for reset of the relationship.