Describing relationship with India as ‘important’, Canada’s defence minister Bill Blair Sunday stated Toronto will proceed to pursue partnerships like Indo-Pacific approach whilst the investigation of the killing of Khalistani extremist chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar will continue.
“We recognize that this can be, and has tested to be, a difficult problem with admire to our relationship with India,” Blair used to be quoted as announcing.
The Canadian defence minister stated the Indo-Pacific approach was once nonetheless a necessary one for the united states and has led to an multiplied navy presence in the location and commitments for in addition patrol capabilities.
The method commits $492.9 million over 5 years towards those navy priorities, out of a complete of almost $2.3 billion over the identical period, the document said.
“But at the identical time, we have a accountability to protect the law, shield our citizens, and at the equal time make positive that we behavior a thorough investigation and get to the truth,” he said.
If the allegations are established true, Blair stated “there is a very enormous subject that Canada will have with appreciate to the violation of our sovereignty in the homicide of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil.”
Tensions flared between the two nations following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau explosive allegations of a “potential” involvement of Indian sellers in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia. India had targeted Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.
New Delhi rejected the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated” and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat cross to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian respectable over the case.
Canada had been searching for deeper trade, defence and immigration ties with India earlier than the “credible intelligence,” as Trudeau known as it, was once first raised.
India requested Canada to downsize its diplomatic group of workers in the country, arguing that there ought to be parity in energy and rank equivalence in the mutual diplomatic presence.