New Delhi: Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Rae has said that his Indian counterpart Ruchira Kamboj met him on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York and expressed that it was important they keep working together.
After his address to the UN Tuesday, Rae told CBC News that Kamboj approached him and thanked him. “She pulled me aside to say it’s important that we keep working together as the governments try to work out the situation that has to be worked on.”
He further said: “I took some comfort from that. I think that there is room for diplomacy and I think we’re going to see more room as we go forward.”
This comes amid escalating tensions between the two countries following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claim of intelligence linking Indian agents to the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar this June in Canada.
India dismissed the allegations as “absurd and motivated”, and called Canada ‘a safe haven’ for extremists. The ensuing diplomatic row has resulted in tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats, visa bans, reduction of staff at high commissions and more.
Experts ThePrint spoke to said that while it may be too early to comment on the meeting, it can be viewed as a positive sign. Manoj Joshi, Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) said: “It can definitely be seen as a positive sign but at the same time, it might be too soon to tell. Both officials are feeling out the terrain in this situation.”
Similarly, Harsh V. Pant, vice-president, Studies and Foreign Policy at the ORF, said, “I think there is an effort from both sides to preserve the processes of dialogue and diplomacy, to keep channels of communication open,” while emphasising that there has not been a “complete breakdown” of ties.
At the UNGA Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had stressed that “political convenience” cannot determine response to terrorism and respecting internal affairs must not be “exercises in cherry picking”.
Similarly, in his address, Rae said, “We cannot bend the rules of state-to-state relations for political expediency”, adding that various “democracies are under threat due to foreign interference”.
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Back-channel talks on
Pant, quoted earlier, explained how strained ties between New Delhi and Ottawa could impact the international sphere. While Canada’s Five Eyes partner countries — the US, the UK, Australia and New Zealand — have urged India to ‘cooperate’ in the country’s investigation, they have not taken sides in the diplomatic row.
“We can also speculate that friendly nations in the West, including the Five Eyes countries, are trying to ensure that both India and Canada dial down tensions and this issue is solved amicably,” Pant said, adding: “China is watching these developments closely. Any dissonance among a bloc of countries working on opposing Beijing cannot be good news.”
While the two envoys met on the sidelines, Jaishankar did not meet anyone from the Canadian delegation at the UN. Experts noted that the foreign minister’s actions “made sense”.
“This is a sensitive issue, neither side wants to be seen as bending over backwards. Therefore, politicians not meeting makes sense,” said Pant.
Joshi, quoted earlier, explained, “The meeting between the two envoys undoubtedly happened with Jaishankar’s permission.”
Experts also believe that back-channel talks between New Delhi and Ottawa are ongoing.
“Private channels between the two countries are still open. I assume back-channel talks are occurring. Ultimately, diplomacy will shape the trajectory of the future of India-Canada ties,” Pant said.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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