Moving on from Nijjar killing row, India, Canada agree on national security, law enforcement cooperation

New Delhi: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to host his counterpart, Mark Carney, in New Delhi next month, India and Canada have agreed on a shared work plan to guide bilateral cooperation on national security, moving on from the acrimony over the murder of a Khalistani Sikh extremist in the North American country.

The two sides also agreed on posting security and law enforcement liaison officers in each other’s national capital.

With Modi and Carney likely to hold a meeting in New Delhi in the first week of next month, the National Security Advisors of the two prime ministers, Ajit Doval and Nathalie Drouin, recently met in Ottawa. The two sides acknowledged the progress on initiatives aimed at supporting the safety and security of their countries and citizens. They agreed to a shared work plan to guide bilateral cooperation on national security and law enforcement issues and to enable practical collaboration on respective priorities, according to a readout issued by the Government of India in New Delhi.

Doval and Drouin agreed that each country would establish security and law-enforcement liaison officers and that their respective agencies would build on working relationships. This important step will help streamline bilateral communications and enable timely information sharing on issues of mutual concern to Canada and India, such as the illegal flow of drugs, particularly fentanyl precursors, and transnational organised criminal networks, added the Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday.

They also committed to formalising cooperation on cybersecurity policy and information sharing on cybersecurity issues, as well as continuing discussions on cooperation related to fraud and immigration enforcement, consistent with domestic laws and international obligations, according to the press release issued by the MEA in New Delhi.

The relations between New Delhi and Ottawa had hit a new low on September 18, 2023, when then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had accused India of having a role in the killing of Khalistani Sikh terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Ottawa in October 2024 had gone on to accuse New Delhi’s then envoy to Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, and his five colleagues of having a role in the June 18, 2023, killing.

New Delhi had withdrawn Verma and its other diplomats from the North American country after denying Ottawa’s request to waive their diplomatic immunity and to make them available for questioning by the police investigators in connection with the murder of Nijjar. India had also expelled six diplomats of Canada.

The relations between the two nations returned to track after Carney replaced Trudeau as the prime minister.

Trudeau’s successor, Carney, and Modi had met on the sidelines of the G7 summit at Kananaskis, Alberta, in Canada on June 18 last year. They had agreed to take “calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship”, beginning with the early return of Indian and Canadian High Commissioners to Ottawa and New Delhi, respectively.

New Delhi then appointed Dinesh K Patnaik as India’s new High Commissioner to Canada. Ottawa, on the other hand, appointed Christopher Cooter as the new High Commissioner of Canada in India.

Carney and Modi had again met in Johannesburg on November 23 last year and agreed to start negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

The prime minister is likely to host his counterpart from the North American nation in New Delhi in the first week of next month. The two leaders are expected to sign agreements on the supply of uranium from Canada to India, in addition to other pacts on energy, minerals and Artificial Intelligence.