Abhitesh
This city is New York Canada has been unable to persuade its fellow G7 nations to reference Ottawa’s allegations regarding the potential role of “agents” of the Indian government in the killing of Sikh terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.
Monday night, local time, the G7 foreign ministers convened in New York on the sidelines of the high-level UN General Assembly week. In a statement issued by Japan’s foreign minister, Kamikawa Yoko, on Tuesday, the grouping reaffirmed its strong and critical stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine, outlined its policy on competition and cooperation with China, and outlined actions to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. However, it contained no negative references to India.
India has been working in secret with its other G7 and non-G7 partners to convey its perspective on Canada’s allegations. India has extremely close and cordial bilateral relations with the United States, Japan, and France, and its relations with Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom have strengthened in recent years.
Due to Canada’s status as an ally and close neighbor, the United States, which leads the G7 bloc, has adopted a measured and calibrated stance on the issue. John Kirby, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council, stated that Washington DC supports Canada’s “efforts to investigate” what he deemed “these serious allegations.” He also stated that President Joe Biden is aware of these allegations, called for a “thorough and transparent investigation,” and urged India to cooperate.
In response to a Washington Post article that appeared to imply that the administration had been reluctant to pursue Canada’s allegations, NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson tweeted, “Reports that we rebuffed Canada in any way on this matter are categorically false. On this issue, we are coordinating and consulting closely with Canada. This is a significant matter and we support Canada’s ongoing law enforcement efforts. We are negotiating with the Indian government as well.”
Administration officials have characterized the relationship between the US and India as the most significant of the 21st century.
During a week in which the international community gathered in New York, Canada’s accusations threatened to cast a pall over the United Nations’ high-level week. But India, certain that Canada acted irresponsibly in making such grievous allegations in public and secure in the denial issued by the ministry of external affairs, has stated that the issue has not been raised in their diplomatic engagements.
Sanjay Verma, secretary (west), and Ruchira Kamboj, India’s permanent representative to the UN, are leading India’s bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the UNGA, as foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra canceled his trip to New York. Kwatra was supposed to fill in for external affairs minister S Jaishankar until the minister arrived on September 22 after attending a special session of Parliament.
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Jaishankar will arrive in time for the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting on Friday; he then has a packed bilateral calendar where he is expected to visit leaders from both developed and developing countries; and on September 26, he will deliver India’s national statement at the UNGA. After delivering a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Jaishankar will travel to Washington, D.C., where he will meet with senior officials from the National Security Council and the State Department, as well as interact with businesses specializing in critical technologies and the think tank community. India will have the opportunity to respond to what it has termed Canada’s “absurd” allegations in both New York and Washington, D.C.
