"First positive signal that a thaw has indeed happened": Former diplomat Vikas Swarup on India-Canada naming envoys

New Delhi [India], August 30 (ANI): As India and Canada named envoys, former diplomat Vikas Swarup on Friday called it a positive development, noting that it signals a "thaw" in bilateral ties.

"I think this is a very positive step. It is really the first positive signal that a thaw has indeed happened. The thaw came about because PM Modi met PM Carney at the G7 Summit in Canada. I think the two leaders had a very positive conversation," Swarup told ANI.

He added, "We still have our concerns on the activities of some anti-India groups in Canada but to the extent that the Canadian Govt is now more sensitive to our concerns and is willing to move forward because Canada is one of the worst hit countries because of Trump's tariff. So, I think Canada also needs to diversify."

Swarup further said, "Once they (envoys) are in place, then the other processes, resumption of trade talks and other aspects of our relationship will start coming into play..."

His remarks came a day after Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand welcomed the appointment of a new High Commissioner to India, saying the move reflects Canada's efforts to strengthen diplomatic engagement and deepen cooperation with New Delhi.

"The appointment of a new High Commissioner reflects Canada's step-by-step approach to deepening diplomatic engagement and advancing bilateral cooperation with India," Anita Anand wrote on X.

Calling it a significant step forward, she added, "This is an important development toward restoring services for Canadians while strengthening the bilateral relationship to support Canada's economy."

Her statement came alongside the announcement by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) that senior diplomat Dinesh K Patnaik, a 1990-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Canada.

Patnaik, who has been serving as India's Ambassador to Spain since November 2021, is expected to take up his new assignment shortly, the MEA said in a statement.

His appointment comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to normalise diplomatic relations, nearly nine months after India withdrew its High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and several senior diplomats amid escalating bilateral tensions.

The process of restoring envoys had been underway for months. In June, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that both countries were working toward reinstating High Commissioners in each other's capitals.

He recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney reaffirmed the importance of bilateral ties during a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, and agreed to take steps to "restore stability" in the relationship.

Diplomatic ties soured sharply last year after then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged "credible allegations" of Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023, claims New Delhi strongly rejected as "absurd" and "motivated."

In response, India recalled six diplomats, including its High Commissioner, and expelled six Canadian diplomats.

Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.

With Mark Carney now serving as the Canadian Prime Minister after Trudeau's resignation, both countries appear to be taking steps to improve ties.

According to MEA, PM Modi and PM Carney had a "key meeting" at the G7 Summit where they discussed ways to restore and strengthen the bilateral relationship. (ANI)

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