India, Canada move to repair ties after Trudeau-era tensions
India's foreign minister spoke to his Canadian counterpart in a call on Sunday, taking the first step to mend the strained bilateral relations between the two countries.
India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said he had "discussed the prospects of India-Canada ties" with Canada's newly appointed Foreign Minister Anita Anand, and he "wished her a very successful tenure."
In a post on X, Anand, whose parents hailed from India, described the conversation with Jaishankar as productive and said she looked forward to "strengthening Canada-India ties, deepening our economic cooperation, and advancing shared priorities."
Thank you Minister @DrSJaishankar for the productive discussion today on strengthening Canada–India ties, deepening our economic cooperation, and advancing shared priorities. I look forward to continuing our work together. pic.twitter.com/GZqgANEIVi
— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) May 25, 2025
The telephone call on Sunday between India's Jaishankar and Canada's Anand marks the highest diplomatic contact between Ottawa and New Delhi since Mark Carney became Canadian prime minister in March.
The call between Jaishankar and Anand raises hope of improvement in ties between India and Canada that deteriorated over a Canadian Sikh's death during former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's time in office.
New Delhi and Ottawa are looking at 'restoring their High Commissioners by June this year,' according to Indian newspaper The Indian Express.
Canada has the largest Sikh population outside of India, and includes activists supporting the formation of "Khalistan" — a separatist movement seeking an independent state for Sikhs who are a religious minority in India.
Relations between the two countries hit rock bottom after Ottawa accused India of orchestrating the 2023 killing in Vancouver of 45-year-old naturalized Canadian citizen and a prominent Khalistan supporter, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and of targeting other Sikhs associated with the movement.
India denied all allegations. The relations between India and Canada deteriorated to the point where both countries expelled a string of top diplomats.
The Khalistan movement remains a contentious subject for India's diplomatic relations with Western countries that have large Sikh populations, as India demands stricter action against the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery
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