NSAs of India, Canada hold talks; discuss shared concerns, security issues

New Delhi: National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval has held talks with his Canadian counterpart, Nathalie Drouin, signalling another initiative to repair ties that came under severe strain following the killing of a Sikh separatist in 2023.

In the talks held in New Delhi on Thursday, Doval is learnt to have flagged India’s concerns over activities of pro-Khalistani groups operating from Canada.

“The NSA of Canada held talks with our NSA. I think it happened yesterday. This is part of the regular bilateral security consultations that happen between the two countries,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday.

It was also an opportunity and occasion for the NSAs to follow up on the discussions that took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, in Kananaskis, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Alberta in June, Jaiswal said.

People familiar with the talks between the two NSAs said issues relating to shared security concerns figured prominently in the discussions.

The talks between the two NSAs came three weeks after India and Canada appointed envoys to each other’s capitals.

While India named seasoned diplomat Dinesh K Patnaik as the next high commissioner to Ottawa, Canada appointed Christopher Cooter as its new envoy to New Delhi.

Cooter has already arrived in New Delhi.

Jaiswal also referred to recent threats to Indian officials in Canada and said it is the Canadian government’s responsibility to provide security to Indian diplomatic establishments.

“As and when there is a concern, we do take it up with the concerned side, in this case Canada, to ensure that there is adequate security for our diplomatic premises,” he said.

In their meeting in June, Modi and Carney agreed to pursue “constructive” steps to restore stability in the India-Canada ties, including the early return of envoys to each other’s capitals.

The ties between India and Canada plummeted to an all-time low following a diplomatic spat over the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.

The India-Canada relations hit rock bottom following then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in 2023 of a potential Indian link to Nijjar’s killing.

In October last year, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case.

New Delhi also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats.

However, Liberal Party leader Carney’s victory in the parliamentary election in April helped begin the process to reset the relations.