Modi-Trudeau brief meet at G7 summit amid strained bilateral ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefly met with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the G7 leaders’ summit in Italy amidst strained bilateral ties following the killing of pro-Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada last year.

Modi met Trudeau on June 14 in Apulia, Italy for the first time since the latter's accusation last year that there was India's involvement in Nijjar's killing as there were credible allegations.

PM Modi posted an image on his official social media account where the two leaders are seen shaking hands, with a caption: “met Canadian PM Justin Trudeau at the G7 Summit”.

The two leaders last met at the G20 Summit hosted by India in September last year.

India-designated Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed outside Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023.

“The Prime Minister congratulated Prime Minister Modi on his re-election and the leaders had a brief discussion on the bilateral relationship,” a spokesperson for the Canadian PMO was quoted as saying by local media.

”Of course, there are important issues between our two countries right now. You can appreciate that we won’t be making any further statements at this time,” the statement added.

After the meeting with Modi, PM Trudeau on June 15 said there is a commitment to work with India on some "very important issues."

"I'm not going to get into the details of this important, sensitive issue that we need to follow up, but this was a commitment to work together, in the coming times, to deal with some very important issues," Trudeau was quoted as saying.

However, he did not reveal whether anything about the Nijjar matter or the issue of alleged foreign interference by India in Canada was raised.

45-year-old Nijjar's killing sparked a massive diplomatic row between the two nations with both of them expelling diplomats of the other country.

In May this year, four Indians were arrested in Canada in connection with Nijjar's murder. India has said there are "political interests at work" in the matter and reiterated its position that separatists and extremists have been given political space in the country.

Earlier, the Canadian PM's office had issued a statement congratulating Modi on his third historic win, adding that "Canada is ready to work with the Indian government to advance relations anchored to human rights, diversity, and the rule of law".

Modi was at the G7 summit meeting to address the Outreach session on Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean, along with Pope Francis, on the invitation of Meloni.

He was joined by other world leaders including including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – the host of the summit.

The next G7 leaders’ meeting will be hosted by Canada in Kananaskis, Alberta, in 2025.